Parent-administered Pediatric Tuina Versus Routine Care for Pediatric Functional Dyspepsia

Title: Parent-administered pediatric tuina with routine care versus routine care alone for pediatric functional dyspepsia: a pilot randomized controlled trial Background: Pediatric functional dyspepsia (PFD) is a common gastrointestinal disorder in children, characterized by chronic or recurrent upper abdominal discomfort without identifiable organic causes. Despite education, dietary, and pharmacological interventions, treatment outcomes remain suboptimal. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) pediatric tuina, a specialized massage therapy specifically for children, has shown promise as a complementary approach, including when administered by parents at home; however, evidence regarding its feasibility and effectiveness is still limited. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of parent-administered pediatric tuina (PPT) for children with PFD. Hypothesis: Children receiving PPT will experience greater improvements in PFD symptoms, eating behavior, sleep quality, and quality of life compared to those receiving routine care (RC) over an 8-week period. Design and subjects: This is a pilot randomized controlled trial involving 50 parent-child dyads (children aged 3-7 years with PFD) recruited from the community. Participants will be randomized into a PPT group or an RC group at 1:1 ratio. Interventions: Parents in the PPT group will attend two 2-hour training sessions delivered by a registered TCM practitioner to learn the principles and techniques of pediatric tuina. They will administer pediatric tuina sessions (30 minutes every two days) at home for 8 weeks, tailored to their child's specific TCM diagnosis. The RC group will continue their usual care without additional interventions during the study period. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome measure is the Questionnaire on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Symptoms-Rome IV (QPGS-RIV) to assess PFD symptoms. Secondary measures include eating behavior (Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire), sleep quality (Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children), quality of life (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory), and parental stress (Parenting Stress Index-Short Form). Outcome assessment will be conducted at baseline, week 4, and week 8. Acceptability, feasibility, satisfaction, adherence, and safety of the intervention will also be assessed. Data analysis: A linear mixed-effects model will be employed to analyze group-by-time interactions for all outcomes. Adherence and acceptability will be described qualitatively and quantitatively. Statistical significance is set at p \< .05. Thematic analysis will be conducted for qualitative data.

NCT Number	NCT07369687
Lead Sponsor	The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Conditions	Pediatric Functional Dyspepsia
Enrollment	50 participants
Start Date	2025-11-27
Primary Completion	2026-04-26 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-05-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-01-27