Efficacy of Oral Arginine as Treatment to Improve Height in Prepubertal Children With Idiopathic Short Stature: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Arginine can stimulate growth hormone production. However, a synthesis of the evidence on the effect in children’s height is lacking. Objectives: To systematically evaluate the efficacy of oral arginine in improving height in prepubertal children with idiopathic short stature. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources and methods: We included clinical trials and cohort studies. We searched in 7 databases until May 31, 2025. Effects were pooled using standardized mean differences (SMDs) and re-expressed as mean differences (MDs). Results: We only found low-quality studies. Oral arginine administered for 6 or 12 months increased growth velocity (SMD 0.66, 95% CI 0.21-1.12), but the benefit was clinically small (re-expressed MD 0.59 cm/year [95% CI 0.19-1.00]), and the effect was not statistically significant when administered for exclusively 12 months. Conclusion: Oral arginine administered for 12 months may not affect growth. Well-designed RCTs are required. Registration: PROSPERO (CRD42024503778).