Abstract: Because children with short stature are shorter than children of the same age,they may suffer from low self-esteem,which seriously affects their mental health and has different degrees of impact on their future learning and lives.Traditional Chinese medicine has some advantages in the treatment of this disease because its syndrome differentiation and treatment can improve the growth and development of children.This paper first sorts out the historical development of short stature,which,as an independent name of the disease,was firstly seen in the textbook of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Pediatrics edited by Prof.Wang Xuefeng.Then,the etiology and mechanism of short stature are summarized.Its etiology is the deficiency of innate endowment and the lack of nutrition in later life.The disease is located in the spleen and kidneys,and it is closely related to the heart,liver and lungs. The nature of the disease is mostly deficiency.The primary mechanism of the disease is the deficiency of the five organs and the deficiency of essence and qi.The basic treatment principle is determined again,which is to support the spleen and nourish kidneys and also to take into account other organs.Among the treatment methods,the method of tonifying the kidneys and nourishing the liver is suitable to those with deficiency of yin in the liver and kidneys and loss of nourishment of the muscles and bones;the method of supporting the spleen and strengthening the stomach is suitable to those with weakness of the spleen and stomach and deficiency of qi and blood;the method of nourishing the kidneys and clearing the heart is suitable to those with deficiency of the heart and kidneys and imbalance of water and fire;the method of strengthening the spleen and nourishing the lungs is suitable to those with deficiency in the lungs and spleen and loss of qi of the mother;the method of warming and tonifying the kidney-yang is suitable to those with insufficiency of the kidney-yang and dysfunction of warming.Finally,the strategy of multi-dimensional care and prevention before the onset of disease is put forward.For children with short stature,attention should be paid to balanced nutrition,moderate increase in exercise,reasonable arrangement of sleep,and adjustment of the body in line with the four seasons.

Key words: Short stature, Traditional Chinese medicine understanding, Syndrome differentiation and treatment