Purpose:

To determine the safety and efficacy of early enteral feeding after distal (ileum-colon) elective bowel anastomoses in children.

Methods:

Controlled randomized trial including all pediatric patients with distal elective bowel anastomosis, excluding non-elective and high risk patients. VARIABLES:

Demographic characteristics, operative time, anastomosis placement,

Follow up: Tolerability variables: beginning peristalsis, beginning bowel movement, time to full diet intake, post-operative stay. Safety variables: mild and persistent vomiting, persistent abdominal distention, wound infection or dehiscence as well as anastomotic leak or dehiscence, reoperation and death. At the end of surgery were randomized to:

1. Experimental group(EG): Early feeding group, after a 24 hours fasting period, with good abdominal conditions (once the post operative ileus had solved), oral fluids and diet was started.
2. Control group (CG): obligatory 5-day fasting. Once the regular diet was tolerated, the patients were discharged. Statistics: Descriptive statistics for global description. Student's t test for quantitative variables and Chi square test for qualitative variables, a p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Inclusion Criteria:

• All patients between the ages of 1 month to 18 years old that required elective laparotomy with a distal elective bowel anastomosis (ileum and colon).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Proximal and non elective anastomosis
• High risk groups:
• Newborns
• Upper gastrointestinal tract anastomosis (esophagus, gastric, duodenal or jejunal)
• Bilious-digestive or rectal anastomosis
• Immunosuppressed patients
• Gastrostomy or any pre anastomotic derivation
• Multiple anastomoses
• Chronic intestinal obstruction
• Patients who did not complete the minimum POP follow up of one month.