Safety of deer antler extract in children: A 12-week randomized controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Deer antlers have been used as strong tonifying medicine in Asian countries, especially for the growth and development of children in pediatrics of Korean medicine. The safety of deer antler in adults cannot be applied directly to children because of their physiological characteristics. To accumulate reliable data on the safety of deer antler in pediatric populations, well-designed clinical studies are required. METHODS: This research is a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating the safety of deer antler extract (DAE) in children. The DAE group received an intervention containing 1586 mg of DAE, whereas the control group received a placebo for 12 weeks. The safety was assessed by monitoring adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and laboratory test results. RESULTS: One hundred participants were included in the safety analysis. Three and 2 participants in the DAE and control groups, respectively, reported ADRs. There was no significant difference in incidence between the 2 groups. ADRs are categorized into gastrointestinal and skin-related symptoms. No serious ADR was observed throughout the study. The laboratory test results were within or outside the normal range at clinically insignificant levels. CONCLUSION: The research discovered that the DAE is safe in terms of ADRs and laboratory parameters under the conditions studied. Further studies are required to accumulate safety data about DAE dosage adjustment and potential interactions with other medicines.

Safety and efficacy of East Asian herbal medicine for iron deficiency anemia in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of East Asian herbal medicine (HM) for iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in children and adolescents. Methods: Twelve electronic databases were searched in 28 May 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy of HM in children with IDA. The primary outcome measures for treatment included blood hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels, whereas the secondary outcomes included the total effective rate (TER), incidence of adverse events (AEs), average healing time, and hematologic indicators related to IDA. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4 and R studio 4.3 software, and subgroup analyses were performed according to the different groups (type of intervention and duration of treatment). The effect size measures used were the risk ratio, mean difference, and standardized mean difference with 95% confidence intervals. The risk of bias was assessed using a revised Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomized trials, and the quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation tools. Results: The meta-analysis included 28 studies. Five studies compared the efficacy of HM alone with that of oral iron alone, whereas 23 compared the efficacy of a combination of HM and oral iron with that of oral iron alone. The meta-analysis revealed that the HM treatment group showed significant improvements in all outcome measures compared to those observed in the oral iron group. Moreover, HM significantly reduced the incidence of gastrointestinal AE, compared to that associated with oral iron. Among the 28 studies, the most commonly used HM prescription was Xingpi Yanger Granules, and the most commonly used botanical drug was Astragali Radix, followed by Atractylodis Rhizoma Alba and Angelicae Sinensis Radix. Conclusion: This meta-analysis identified evidence of the efficacy and safety of HM in children with IDA. Compared to conventional oral iron therapy, HM improved IDA-related blood markers and TER, with fewer AEs and shorter mean healing times. However, further well-designed, large-scale clinical trials are necessary to strengthen the evidence of the efficacy and safety of botanical drugs. Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO 2022 CRD42022334670. (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022334670).

Reliability and validity of a Korean version of the children's eating behavior questionnaire in anorexia context.

Background: Although childhood anorexia is a common clinical disorder, there is no established tool for evaluating it. The Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) is a parent-reported measure designed to assess the eating behavior of children. We aimed to investigate the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the CEBQ (K-CEBQ) for children with anorexia. Methods: Parents of children with anorexia aged between 2 and 9 years participated in a survey conducted twice at 1-month intervals. The general characteristics and K-CEBQ scores of the children were recorded. To assess the reliability of the K-CEBQ, the internal consistency and test-retest methods were used. Furthermore, correlation analysis was performed for each item and factor, and the discriminant validity was determined through comparison with the normal group. Optimal cut-off scores, which are based on the maximum area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve, were calculated in two categories. Results: A total of 336 participants responded to the first survey, and the responses from 171 participants from the second survey were included in the analysis. The K-CEBQ showed relatively high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.738), and the retest demonstrated sufficient temporal stability. The relationship between each item of the K-CEBQ and the factor to which the item belongs showed a high correlation. There were significant differences between the anorexia and normal groups in two categories of the K-CEBQ: 'food approach' (p = 0.0063) and 'food avoidant' (p < 0.0001). The optimal cut-off values for the 'food approach' and 'food avoidant' category scores were 39.50 and 58.50 points, respectively. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the K-CEBQ may be a reliable and valid tool for assessing the eating behavior of children with anorexia.

Integrative Korean Medicine Treatment for Obesity and Overweight in Children and Adolescents: A Multicenter Retrospective Chart Review Study.

Introduction: Integrative Korean medicine treatment (IKM), including herbal medicine (HM) and acupuncture, has been widely used for obesity and overweight in children and adolescents in South Korea. We investigated the real-world usage status and the potential effect of the IKM for obesity and overweight in children and adolescents. Methods: Multicenter medical charts were retrospectively reviewed of obese and overweight children and adolescents who visited Korean medicine institutions with the goal of weight control for the first time and received IKM, to analyze the usage status and effect of IKM. We defined IKM responders as those with an improved obesity grade on the body mass index (BMI) percentile and analyzed their characteristics. Results: Medical charts of 209 patients (183 obese and 26 overweight) with a mean age of 11.45 years were examined. Patients visited the institution a mean of 5.95 times, and HM alone and HM plus acupuncture were frequently used IKM. HM was prescribed to 205 patients, 167 of whom received an HM prescription containing Ephedrae Herba. An HM of the decoction type was prescribed to 189 patients, and the average treatment duration was 76.54 days. After IKM, the percentile and z-score of BMI and weight significantly declined and height percentile and z-score were significantly enhanced, without serious adverse events. In the IKM responders, age, and the proportion of girls and overweight were significantly higher, and the percentile and z-score of height, weight, and BMI were significantly lower. Conclusion: This is the first study to examine the real-world usage of IKM for obesity and overweight in children and adolescents. A significant improvement in obesity-related outcome measures after IKM, illustrated the potential effect of IKM.

Corrigendum to "The Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture for the Treatment of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2018/1057539.].

Chuna manual therapy for the treatment of anorexia in children: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Anorexia in children can cause malnutrition, low immunity, growth retardation, and various secondary infections, resulting in a huge burden on society. In East Asia, Chuna manual therapy has been widely used for the treatment of childhood anorexia. We aimed to comprehensively evaluate the effects of Chuna manual therapy for treating childhood anorexia. METHODS: Twelve databases were comprehensively searched from their inception to September 13, 2022. Only randomized controlled trials assessing Chuna manual therapy for the treatment of childhood anorexia were included. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. The quality of evidence for each main outcome was evaluated using the grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation approach. A meta-analysis was performed, and the pooled data were presented as risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dichotomous outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty-five RCTs involving 2230 participants were included. The meta-analysis showed that Chuna manual therapy had a higher total effective rate (TER) based on anorexia symptoms than that of lysine inositol and vitamin B12 (RR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.28-1.84), multi-enzyme and multi-vitamin (RR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.11-1.33), and zinc calcium gluconate (RR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.06-1.39). There was no significant difference in total effective rate between Chuna manual therapy and zinc gluconate plus lysine. No adverse events associated with Chuna manual therapy were reported. Overall, the included studies had an unclear risk of bias, and the quality of evidence was generally moderate to low. CONCLUSION: Current evidence showed that Chuna manual therapy may be effective and safe for improving anorexia symptoms, especially compared with lysine inositol and vitamin B12, multi-enzyme plus multi-vitamin, and zinc calcium gluconate. However, owing to the low methodological quality of the included studies, more rigorous, high-quality RCTs are required on this topic.

The 12 weeks, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled human study to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of KGC deer antlers on the growth of children.

BACKGROUND: Cervi parvum cornu is a dried section of the young horns of Cervus nippon Temminck, Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, or Cervus canadensis Erxleben. It is a representative yang-tonifying medicine that warms the viscera and bowels, activates the overall physiological function, and has effects such as tonifying kidney yang, replenishing essence and blood, and strengthening muscles and bones. OBJECTIVE: This clinical study is aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of deer antler extract on child growth. METHODS: This clinical trial is designed to be conducted on 100 children aged 3 to 12 years for 12 weeks (Trial registration code: KCT0007386). We will evaluate changes in height, height percentile, standard deviation score of height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, bone age, predicted adult height estimated by bone age, human growth hormone level, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) level, IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) level, IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio, and estradiol level. Additionally, we also will evaluate the adverse events during the study.

Acupuncture for the treatment of childhood anorexia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Childhood anorexia, among the commonest symptoms of children, involved long-term loss of appetite/decreased food intake and refusal to try or eat certain foods. Acupuncture is increasingly popular in childhood anorexia due to the side effects and dissatisfaction of conventional treatment, but, the efficacy and safety of acupuncture for childhood anorexia have not been reviewed systematically. METHODS: From 12 electronic databases, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing acupuncture for childhood anorexia were identified in June 2021, with posttreatment improvement in clinical symptoms of anorexia as the primary outcome. A meta-analysis was conducted if two or more studies used the same interventions or same outcome measures. The risk of bias and quality of evidence were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 32 RCTs with 3518 participants were included. When acupuncture was used as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy, the total effectiveness rate based on anorexia symptoms, hemoglobin levels, abdominal subcutaneous fat, and body weight significantly improved. However, results in nutritional indices were inconsistent. The recurrence rate of anorexia was significantly lower in the acupuncture group. No serious adverse events in relation to acupuncture were reported. in general, the risk of bias of the included studies was unclear and the quality of evidence for the main findings was low to moderate. CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture may improve symptoms of childhood anorexia without serious adverse events. However, because of the low methodological quality and quality of evidence in existing reports, further high-quality clinical trials are needed to conclusively establish the efficacy and safety of this treatment.

Survey of Clinical Practice Patterns of Korean Medicine Doctors for Anorexia in Children: A Preliminary Study for Clinical Practice Guidelines.

Parents often have concerns regarding anorexia in their children and visiting medical institutions for the intervention of it. This study aimed to investigate the clinical practice patterns of Korean medicine doctors (KMDs) for anorexia in children using a web-based survey. A link to the questionnaire was sent via email to all KMDs that were affiliated with the Association of Korean Medicine. The questionnaire covered items on the sociodemographic characteristics and clinical characteristics related to Korean medicine (KM), such as diagnosis, treatment, awareness, safety, and effectiveness. Of 23,910 KMDs, 384 agreed to participate and complete the questionnaire. Anorexia in children was diagnosed mainly by clinical features (36.4%) and the pattern identification (PI) theory of 'Qi, Blood, Fluid, Humor, and Organ system diagnoses' (32.8%). The most frequently used PIs was 'spleen-stomach qi deficiency' (38.6%), which was followed by 'spleen failure in transportation' (23.3%), 'stomach yin deficiency' (15.5%), and 'liver depression' (14.2%). Herbal medicine (38.1%) was the primary KM treatment for anorexia, and the names of the most frequently prescribed herbal decoctions were Sogunjung-tang (16.5%), Hyangsayukgunja-tang (15.9%), and Bojungikgi-tang (13.9%). This study provides information on the existing clinical practice patterns of KMDs for anorexia in children. Based on this survey, the clinical practice guidelines will be developed.

Integrative traditional Korean medicine treatment for children with idiopathic short stature: A STROBE-compliant case series.

Integrative traditional Korean medicine (TKM) treatment including herbal medicine and acupuncture has been used frequently by parents in South Korea for the treatment of children with idiopathic short stature (ISS). We aimed to report the TKM treatments currently being used for children with ISS and explore their therapeutic effects. The medical records of children who met the criteria for ISS and who had been treated with TKM for the management of ISS were retrospectively reviewed. In total, 116 patients (mean [standard deviation] age, 8.07 [3.08] years; 52.6% girls) enrolled in the study. Their mean height percentile was 1.45 and body mass index was 16.19 kg/m2. During the study period of 5 years, participants visited the outpatient clinic an average of 2.93 times; the mean number of days to the next visit was 101 days. All patients received herbal medicine treatment, and the formulation was mainly decoction type. Additional treatments including ear acupuncture and moxibustion were also used. After treatment with TKM, the height percentile and standard deviation scores increased in both girls and boys (P < .001 and P < .01, respectively). Additionally, the predicted adult height, estimated based on bone age, increased in girls (P < .05). This study provided preliminary data for future research in TKM use in children with ISS.

Herbal Medicine for the Treatment of Anorexia in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Anorexia is a common obstacle to adequate nutrition in childhood, a critical period for physical growth. East Asian traditional medicine treatment modalities including herbal medicine (HM) a re considered an attractive therapeutic option, especially in East Asian countries. The purpose of this systematic review was to comprehensively examine the efficacy and safety of HM for anorexia in children. Methods: A total of 12 electronic databases from their inception date to June 2021 were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the efficacy of HM for the treatment of anorexia in children. The primary outcome was an improvement in anorexia clinical symptoms after treatment. In this meta-analysis, continuous and binary outcomes were assessed, and the data are presented as the mean difference or standardized mean difference and risk ratio (RR) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The risk of bias and quality of evidence were assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations tool. Results: A total of 205 RCTs were included. A comparison of HM with placebo revealed that the total effective rate based on anorexia symptom improvement was significantly higher in the HM group (RR 1.58, 95% CI 1.34, 1.85). In comparison with controls, HM as monotherapy or adjunctive therapy to dietary supplements or conventional medications led to significant improvements in anorexia symptoms, body measurements, levels of blood biomarkers related to gastrointestinal function, and nutrition indices, with a lower recurrence rate of anorexia. No serious adverse events related to HM were reported. The risk of bias of the included studies was generally unclear, and the quality of evidence was generally low to moderate. Conclusion: Our study showed that HM could improve clinical symptoms, some anthropometric outcomes, and some biological markers related to appetite and growth in children with anorexia. However, considering the high risk of bias of the included studies and the heterogeneity of the HMs used, future research should focus on the use of standardized HMs and the implementation of methodologically robust clinical trials. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prosperodisplay_record.php?ID=CRD42021274376, identifier CRD42021274376.

Asymmetric Nanochannel Network-Based Bipolar Ionic Diode for Enhanced Heavy Metal Ion Detection.

A higher rectification degree in ionic diodes is required to achieve better performance in applications. Nonetheless, the active geometrical change that is critical for inducing electrical potential asymmetry is difficult to realize in typical ionic diodes because of the intrinsic limitation of the fabrication method. Here, we propose a nanochannel-network-based bipolar diode with a high rectification degree of ∼1600─the highest value realized until now, to the best of our knowledge. Such a high rectification is obtained based on the synergetic effect of the bipolar surface charge and the optimization of the microchannel through experimental studies and multiphysics numerical simulations. It induces ion concentrations at the heterogeneous junction based on the accumulation effect under the forward potential bias. In particular, this proposed molecular concentration occurs in the ohmic region without vortex and instability that is inevitable at the conventional nano-electrokinetic concentration. Combining this accumulation with the horizontally aligned configuration of the nanochannel network membrane (NCNM), a highly sensitive and quantitative mercury ion (Hg2+) sensor based on a fluorescent signal is fabricated that allows direct measurement using a general fluorescent microscope. The detection limit of Hg2+ is 10 pM, which is ∼10 times lower than the best detection limit realized so far (∼100 pM) in fluorescent dye-based detection. This demonstrates the potential of asymmetric NCNM for high-performance ion transport in applications such as energy conversion, based on its design and material flexibility.

Acupoint Herbal Patching for Long-Term Immune Function in Children with Recurrent Respiratory-Tract Infections: A Systematic Review of Real-World Data.

Objective: Acupoint herbal patching (AHP) has been used for the prevention and treatment of recurrent respiratory-tract infections (RRTIs) in children. some studies have suggested relevance to immune function as AHP's mechanism. This study was conducted to evaluate the long-term effects of AHP on immune function in pediatric patients with RRTIs based on real-world data from more than 1-year of follow-up. Materials and Methods: Eleven English-, Korean-, and Chinese-language databases were searched comprehensively up to January 2020. Real-world clinical data assessing AHP for children with RRTI and reporting long-term immune function-related biomarkers as outcomes were included. Descriptive analyses of the details of the participants, interventions, and outcomes were conducted. The risk of bias was assessed, using the ROBINS-I [Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies-of Interventions] tool. Results: Four observational studies with 399 pediatric participants were included. Two studies reported salivary secretory immunoglobulin (Ig) A (sIgA) as an immune function-related biomarker and 2 reported serum levels of IgA, IgG, and IgM. sIgA levels showed inconsistent results at 1 year after AHP. However, IgA, IgG, and IgM levels were increased significantly at both 1 and 2 years after AHP. The frequency and duration of respiratory infections were also reduced significantly after AHP. Most studies had high risks of bias, especially lack of consideration of confounding factors. Conclusions: Current evidence suggested that AHP might be connected to immune function-related biomarker levels and symptoms in pediatric patients with RRTIs in the long-term. Further well-designed, large-size, long-term registries are needed to investigate the effects of AHP on immune function in pediatric patients with RRTIs.

The effectiveness and safety of Chuna manual therapy on scoliosis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Scoliosis is a spinal deformity and is diagnosed as Cobb angle being greater than 10°. Because it is accompanied with structural dysfunction, it can cause pain, worsen the patient's general health and quality of life. The prevalence of scoliosis has been increasing and many treatments, including surgical treatment and conservative treatment, such as observation, bracing, physiotherapy, and Chuna manual therapy (CMT), have been suggested. CMT is a manual therapy in Korean medicine that provides effective stimulation to the patient's body structure to treat structural dysfunction. After Korean national health insurance's coverage of CMT in 2019, the application of CMT for scoliosis has increased, and many studies have been reported. There have been attempts to elucidate the effectiveness of CMT on scoliosis; however, its effectiveness still remains unconfirmed. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of CMT on scoliosis. METHODS: The published randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effectiveness and safety of CMT for scoliosis will be searched for in multiple electronic databases without the limitation of country and language. Data on characteristics of studies, interventions, comparators, outcome measures, results, and information for assessment of study quality will be extracted. The primary outcome will be the Cobb angle and the secondary outcomes will be the scales of pain, function, quality of life and disability, and adverse events. Data synthesis and analysis will be conducted using the Review Manager software for Windows (RevMan ver. 5.3.; Copenhagen; The Nordic Cochrane Center, The Cochrane Collaboration, 2014). Subgroup analysis to identify the differences between different CMT maneuvers will also be performed. For risk of bias assessment, the "risk of bias" tool from Cochrane Collaboration will be used. RESULTS: This study will present the clinical evidence on the effectiveness and safety of CMT on scoliosis. CONCLUSION: This study will propose useful evidence for treatment, further research, and health policies in the future.

Longitudinal Bone Growth Stimulating Effect of Allium macrostemon in Adolescent Female Rats.

Allium macrostemon (AM) may affect bone growth by regulating bone formation and resorption. To examine the effect of AM on bone growth, 48 rats were divided into four administration groups in which either distilled water, AM (100 and 300 mg/kg), or recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH; 20 µg/kg) was administered for 10 days. On day 9, all animals were intraperitoneally injected with tetracycline hydrochloride (20 mg/kg), and 48 h after the injection, the rats were sacrificed. Their tibial sections were photographed to measure bone growth. Antigen-specific immunohistochemistry was performed to detect insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). The food intake of the AM 100 mg/kg group was higher; however, the food intake of the AM 300 mg/kg group was less than that of the control group. The rhGH and AM 100 mg/kg groups showed greater rates of bone growth (359.0 ± 23.7 and 373.1 ± 28.0 µm/day, respectively) compared with the control group. IGF-1 and BMP-2 in the AM and rhGH groups were highly expressed. Indigestion at higher doses of AM led to nonsignificant bone growth in spite of increased IGF-1 and BMP-2 expression. Therefore, a suitable amount of AM could increase bone growth.

Herbal Medicine Treatment for Influenza: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

The aim of this research is to evaluate the clinical evidence of an herbal medicine (HM) treatment on influenza and describe the potential benefits and adverse events by reviewing all relevant randomized controlled trials. All papers published from 2010 to 2019 in all languages in six databases were searched, including all randomized controlled trials on adults and children, testing herbal medicine for treatment of influenza, alone or in combination with conventional antiviral therapy. The main outcome parameters of interest were total effective rate, time to resolution of fever, adverse events, complications, and duration of viral shedding. 25 trials of 3044 patients were included. Herbal medicine compared to placebo significantly reduced time to fever resolution by 4.96[Formula: see text]h (mean difference, [Formula: see text]4.96; 95% CI, [Formula: see text]7.11 to [Formula: see text]2.80; [Formula: see text]), herbal medicine compared to oseltamivir showed no significant difference (mean difference, [Formula: see text]1.82; 95% CI, [Formula: see text]6.08 to 2.44; [Formula: see text]), and herbal medicine plus oseltamivir combined treatment significantly reduced duration of fever by 7.84[Formula: see text]h compared to a single treatment with oseltamivir (mean difference, [Formula: see text]7.84; 95% CI, [Formula: see text]12.51 to [Formula: see text]3.17; [Formula: see text]). Herbal medicine compared to placebo showed a significantly better total effective rate (risk ratio, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.18 to 3.07; [Formula: see text]), herbal medicine compared to oseltamivir indicated significantly better effective rate (risk ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.29; [Formula: see text]), and combined treatment showed a significantly better total effective rate compared to a single treatment with oseltamivir (risk ratio, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.36; [Formula: see text]). Regarding safety, no serious adverse events were reported in HM treatment. HM presented fewer adverse events compared to oseltamivir, but the difference was not significant (risk difference, [Formula: see text]0.04; 95% CI, [Formula: see text]0.09 to 0.00; [Formula: see text]), and the combined treatment did not increase adverse events compared to oseltamivir (risk difference, [Formula: see text]0.02; 95% CI, [Formula: see text]0.06 to 0.02; [Formula: see text]). Research findings show that herbal medicine treatments have beneficial therapeutic effects on influenza and could decrease duration of fever and improve total effective rate. In addition, herbal medicine plus oseltamivir combined therapy could increase the therapeutic effect compared to a single treatment with oseltamivir.

Acupoint herbal patching for children with recurrent respiratory tract infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acupoint herbal patching (AHP) has been used for recurrent respiratory tract infection (RRTI) in children. This systematic review aimed to analyze the safety and efficacy of AHP in pediatric RRTI. METHODS: Eleven databases were comprehensively searched up to January 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using AHP as a monotherapy or adjunctive therapy in pediatric patients with RRTI were included. RESULTS: Twenty-two RCTs with 3579 participants were included. Meta-analyses showed that outbreaks and disease duration of respiratory tract infection (RTI) per year significantly decreased in the AHP group compared with the placebo group, when follow-up was conducted after 1, 2, or 3 years. Moreover, AHP as a monotherapy or adjunctive therapy significantly decreased outbreaks and disease duration of RTI without serious adverse events. CONCLUSION: This review provides promising evidence that AHP may reduce the frequency and duration of RTI and improve immune function in pediatric patients with RRTI.

Analysis of the bio-psychological characteristics of Sasang typology in Korean preschool children using the ponderal index and the temperament and character inventory.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify different physical and mental characteristics among three common Sasang types, Tae-eum, So-yang, and So-eum (except scarce type, Tae-Yang) in preschoolers, to improve constitutional diagnoses. METHODS: Our study included 65 boys and 67 girls from six kindergartens in South Korea. The number of children who were categorized as Tae-Yang, Tae-Eum, So-Yang, and So-Eum types were 1, 56, 40, and 35, respectively. We measured height, weight, mid-parental height, predicted adult height, ponderal index (PI), and findings from the junior temperament and character inventory 3 to 6. RESULTS: The Tae-eum type exhibited higher weight percentiles and PIs than the other types (p < 0.001), and the So-eum type displayed higher harm avoidance (HA) scores than the Tae-eum type (p = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: Children with high PIs and low HA scores have a higher probability of being classified as the Tae-eum type than as the So-eum type.

Improvement of a massage chair (BEG-100) on height growth in children with average: Human subjects research.

BACKGROUND: Studies that examine the growth effects of massage at ages beyond infancy are rare. A recently developed massage chair (BEG-100) targets teenagers who want to increase their growth. The chair can stretch areas around the knee after fixating the knee and ankle areas. METHODS: This is a clinical study that included 38 children aged 11 years whose heights ranged from 145.0 to 155.0 cm. We aim to observe the potential of a 24-week massage for growth promotion. We will also evaluate the changes in height percentile, height, height standard deviation score, bone age, height standard deviation score for bone age, growth rate, predicted height estimated from bone age, seated height-to-standing height ratio, weight, and body mass index. To confirm safety, the associated adverse events will be investigated. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the growth-promoting effect of BEG-100 in children with average height. TRIAL REGISTRATION: KCT0004673 (Clinical Research Information Service).

Expert consensus on the development of a health-related questionnaire for the pediatric field of Korean medicine: a Delphi study.

BACKGROUND: Although a variety of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for children have been developed, there is no pediatric PROM specific to Korean medicine (KM) that is validated by experts in the field. The aim of this study was to collate the opinions of specialists in KM pediatrics on the development of a generic PROM that can be used by Korean medical doctors to assess the health status of children. METHODS: A three-round Delphi survey was conducted to determine the level of consensus on the development of a new PROM. Delphi questionnaires were sent by e-mail to 91 KM pediatricians on January 24, 2018. The Delphi questionnaire was composed of four sections: conceptualization, construction, items, and sources of content for a PROM. A nine-point Likert scale was used, and if more than two-thirds of the panels agreed or disagreed with a given sentence, they were considered to have reached a consensus. A draft of a PROM for the pediatric field of KM was developed in accordance with the preliminary conceptual framework. RESULTS: Out of 91 experts, 18 finished three rounds of the Delphi survey. The experts reached a consensus on the necessity of a KM pediatric PROM for measuring various areas including child health, and using Likert scales with a recall period of 3 months. They also agreed on specific items and sources of content. A new draft of a health questionnaire for KM pediatrics was developed based on the Delphi consensus. It contains 44 items covering 7 domains: i) functions of the digestive system, ii) functions of the respiratory system, iii) mental functions, iv) skin functions, v) pain, vi) functions of the metabolic and endocrine systems, and vii) demographic details. CONCLUSIONS: This research represents the first step in developing a health questionnaire for the pediatric field of KM. The questionnaire can be used in clinical and research settings after verifying several types of validity and reliability.