The Influences of Herbal Medicines as a Growth-promoting Complimentary Therapy on Predicted Adult Heights of Children

Jung, Hwan Hee; Shim, Kye Shik

Abstract

PURPOSE
A lot of complementary therapies to increase final adult heights have been used in Korean children. We are going to investigate the effects of herbal medicines on predicted adult heights of children.
METHODS
Subjects were 29 children (13 boys & 16 girls) who visited to the growth clinic of the department of pediatrics in Kyunghee East-West Neo medical center from June 1st 2006 to June 30th 2008 and treated with herbal medicines and followed up over 1 year. At first visit, their mid-parental target height standard deviation score (MPHSDS), bone age, height SDS, height SDS adjusted for their bone ages (BAHSDS) and predicted adult height SDS (PAHSDS) were checked. After 1 year of complementary therapy, they were checked those parameters again. The differences of their MPHSDS, BAHSDS and PAHSDS before and after the therapy were compared with Wilcoxon signed rank test using SPSS 12.0.
RESULTS
The mean changes in BAHSDS after therapy in boys and girls were -0.17 and -0.05. The mean changes in predicted adult height SDS after therapy in boys and girls were -0.28 and 0.03. There were no significant differences between BAHSDS and PAHSDS before and after the therapy.
CONCLUSION
There is little evidence that the use of herbal medicines to improve the final adult heights of the children was effective. It is necessary to evaluate the long-term effects or the side effects of these therapies on final adult heights in more children.