title: Traditional Chinese medicine for idiopathic precocious puberty: A hospital-based retrospective observational study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) among children with idiopathic precocious puberty (IPP).
  
  
  METHODS
  This study examined data sets from patients diagnosed with IPP at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between 2010 and 2012. The patients were allocated into three groups according their voluntary choice of treatment modalities: TCM users (received TCM treatment only), Western medicine (WM) users (received WM treatment only), and "no treatment" group (received no medical treatment at all).
  
  
  METHODS
  The demographic data of children with IPP were characterized. The prescription patterns and frequencies of TCM for IPP patients were analyzed. The patients' bone maturation rates and the change of predicted height after different approaches were measured as outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 3390 patients enrolled in the study. Zhi-Bai-Di-Huang-Wan (70.62%) was the most common herbal formula and Mai-Ya (Hordei Fructus Germinatus) (51.58%) was the most common single herb prescribed for IPP in all of the 2784 prescriptions. The bone maturation rates of TCM users (0.95±0.20) and WM users (0.69±0.05) were both decelerated but the "no treatment" group had an accelerated bone maturation rate of 1.33±0.04. TCM and WM users also had higher predicted height after treatment (1.15±1.19cm versus 1.73±0.29cm), while the "no treatment" group had a decreased predicted height (-0.52±0.23cm).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study revealed a comprehensive list of TCM prescriptions for IPP patients. Future well-designed, randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled clinical trials are warranted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCM for precocity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chao-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Clinical Informatics and Medical Statistics Research Center, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pi-Hua
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yang-Hau
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Van
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Angela Shin-Yu
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lien
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tzu-Ping
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan 333, Taiwan; Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Department of Chinese Medicine and Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404, Taiwan; School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 404, Taiwan. Electronic address: hungrongyen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hung-Rong
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Yen
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D050276:Hand Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods*; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011629:Puberty, Precocious / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014953:Wrist / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal
keywords: Complementary and alternative medicine; Precocious puberty; Traditional Chinese medicine; Zhi-Bai-Di-Huang-Wan