Comparative effectiveness and safety of growth hormone monotherapy and combination therapy with herbal medicine and growth hormone in short stature children

Abstract

Abstract Background: Short stature (SS) is a state of two or more standard deviations below the average height of the same age and gender. Growth hormone (GH) and herbal medicine are commonly used treatments for SS in East Asia. In this review, we will evaluate the comparative effectiveness and safety of GH monotherapy and combination therapy with herbal medicine and GH for SS. Methods and analysis: In this study, randomized controlled trials and quasi- randomised controlled trials will be searched through various databases, including trial registries and databases in Korea, China, and Japan. The risk of bias will be evaluated through the Cochrane handbook criteria. Ethics and dissemination: The data used for this review is not the patient's personal information. Therefore, ethical approval is not required. This systematic review will be published and disseminated in peer-reviewed journals. OSF registration number: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/NMY5G.