Bowel Continence Across the Lifespan in People With Spina Bifida

Recruiting now

Conditions studied: Spina Bifida, Neurogenic Bowel, Bowel Incontinence

In brief

The goal of this observational study is to learn how different enema programs affect bowel control in children and adults with spina bifida. An enema program involves putting liquid into the large intestine (colon) to help someone poop. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. How well do different enema programs prevent bowel accidents? 2. How do these enema programs affect independence, bowel symptoms, and quality of life? Researchers will compare two types of enema programs to see which works better and is easier for participants to manage. Participants starting a new enema program will answer online survey questions at 3 different timepoints over the course of 1 year.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07390318

Run by

David Chu

People needed

943

Starts

2026-04-01

Expected to finish

2030-05-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-04-21

Who can join

Age: 5 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Minimum age 5 years old
• Myelomeningocele diagnosis
• Starting a retrograde or antegrade enema program (or switching from one enema program to the other)
• English or Spanish speaking/literate

You may not qualify if…

• Other types of spinal dysraphism (e.g., lipomyelomeningocele, fatty filum)

Where it is running

• University of Washington — Seattle, Washington, United States (enrolling)
• Children's of Alabama — Birmingham, Alabama, United States (enrolling)
• Phoenix Children's Hospital — Phoenix, Arizona, United States (enrolling)
• Children's Hospital of Los Angeles — Los Angeles, California, United States (enrolling)
• University of California San Francisco — San Francisco, California, United States (enrolling)
• Children's Hospital of Colorado — Denver, Colorado, United States (enrolling)
• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States (enrolling)
• Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt — Nashville, Tennessee, United States (enrolling)
• Texas Children's Hospital — Houston, Texas, United States (enrolling)
• Seattle Children's Hospital — Seattle, Washington, United States (enrolling)
• University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham, Alabama, United States (enrolling)
• Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago — Chicago, Illinois, United States (enrolling)
• Northwestern University — Chicago, Illinois, United States (enrolling)
• Riley Children's Hospital — Indianapolis, Indiana, United States (enrolling)
• Boston Children's Hospital — Boston, Massachusetts, United States (enrolling)
• Duke University Medical Center — Durham, North Carolina, United States (enrolling)
• Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center — Cincinnati, Ohio, United States (enrolling)
• Nationwide Children's Hospital — Columbus, Ohio, United States (enrolling)
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (enrolling)
• Children's National Hospital — Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States
• University of Michigan — Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
• Scottish Rite for Children — Dallas, Texas, United States
• Primary Children's Hospital — Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
• Cleveland Clinic — Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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