Qing Yang,1 Jing Wu,1 Xue Deng,1 Linrui Chen,1 Yanhui Chen2 

1Department of Child Healthcare, Wuhu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhu, Anhui Province, 241000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fujian, 350000, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Yanhui Chen, Department of Pediatrics, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350001, People’s Republic of China, Email yhChensd@163.com

Purpose: To investigated the effect of pediatric massage combined with comprehensive management on height improvement in children with short stature.
Patients and Methods: This retrospective analysis included medical records of 80 children diagnosed with short stature, who received treatment at Wuhu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between April 2022 and April 2023. According to the recorded treatment modalities, patients were divided into two groups: the control group received standard comprehensive management (including psychological health guidance, diet, sleep, exercise), while the massage group received additional pediatric syndrome-based massage therapy alongside comprehensive treatment. Relevant clinical indicators—including height, weight, BMI (body mass index), IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1), BA (bone age), 25(OH)D (25-hydroxyvitamin D), annual growth velocity (GV), TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) symptom scores, as well as cortisol, luteinizing hormone (LH), and growth hormone (GH) levels—were extracted from the medical records and compared between the two groups at baseline and after the recorded treatment period.
Results: When comparing both groups of patients before and after the intervention, significant improvements were observed in height, weight, IGF-1, bone age index (BAI), 25(OH)D levels, GV, and TCM symptom scores (P < 0.05). Notably, the massage group showed significantly greater improvements in height, weight, BAI, IGF-1, and GV compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, massage therapy was associated with a reduction in serum cortisol levels and an increase in LH and GH levels, indicating potential endocrine benefits.
Conclusion: Pediatric massage combined with comprehensive management effectively promotes improvements in height, weight, and annual growth velocity (GV) among children with short stature.

Keywords: preventive treatment, pediatric, short stature, massage, Preventive Treatment