Chengyi Li, Xiaoying Ye, Jiu Huang, Ziyu Lü, Jingchun Qin, Jianfei Zhang, Yinghong Weng, Zhenghe Sheng*
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Liuzhou People's Hospital affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Liuzhou 545006, Guangxi, China.
*Corresponding author: Zhenghe Sheng
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Self-funded Research Project “Clinical Study on Growth Patches for the Treatment of Idiopathic Short Stature” (Project approval fund number: GXZYB20230533).
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy and mechanism of growth patches in treating idiopathic short stature. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 120 children meeting the ISS diagnostic criteria. Based on treatment preferences and lifestyle goals recorded at the initial visit, patients were divided into two groups of 60 each. The control group received lifestyle management only: Parents supervised children to achieve balanced nutrition, complete at least one hour of daily exercise (including but not limited to reaching for height, long jump, back stretches, hanging, skipping rope, and outdoor activities), and sleep before 10 PM, fulfilling all three requirements. The treatment group combined growth patches with lifestyle management. Each treatment cycle lasted 4 weeks, with a total of three cycles administered. Clinical efficacy and adverse reactions were compared between groups post-treatment. Changes in children’s height, growth velocity, and weight were assessed before treatment and at 1, 2, and 3 months post-treatment. Results: Pre-treatment comparisons of growth velocity and height gain showed no significant differences between groups (P > 0.05). Af-ter 1, 2, and 3 months of treatment, both groups showed significantly higher growth rates and height gains compared to pre-treatment levels (P < 0.05). At each treatment time point, the treatment group exhibited significantly higher growth rates and height gains than the control group (P < 0.05). Compared to the control group, the treatment group demonstrated a significantly higher overall effective rate post-treatment (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Under lifestyle management, adjunctive use of traditional Chinese medicine growth patches effectively promotes height gain and enhances growth velocity without significant adverse reactions, demonstrating clinical applicability.
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