Table 1 Characteristics of included RCTs

 Chan 2014 [14], Hong Kong China

4 weeks, 3 months

I: >1 year;

C: >1 year

I: 83/80;

C:83/79

I: 18–25, 32/48;

C: 18–25, 35/44

Modified YPFS (oral)

Placebo (oral, 70 ml each time, once per day)

Increased acne and abdominal distension (4)

 Feng 2004 [15], China

8 weeks, NS

I:10.57 (7.31) years

C:11.31 (8.17) years

I: 43/43;

C: 43/43

I: 37.74 (14.57), 22/21;

C: 38.17 (14.21), 22/21

Allergic Rhinitis oral liquid (oral)

Saline (oral, 20 ml each time, three times a day)

NS

 Fang 2014 [16], China

1 month, NS

I: 3.26 (1.27) years;

C: 3.17 (1.12) years

I: 118/118;

C: 102/102

I: 35.18 (13.72), 53/65;

C: 36.03(12.85), 43/59

Yu ping feng capsule

(oral)

Cetirizine Hydrochlorde (oral, 10 mg once per day), Budesonide aerosol (nasal spray, twice per day)

No AE

 Wang 2014 [17], China

14 days, NS

I: NS;

C: NS

I: 30/30;

C: 30/30

I: 33 (10.78), 14/16;

C:35 (11.94), 15/15

Modified YPFS

(oral)

Cetirizine Hydrochloride (oral, 10 mg once per day)

NS

 Luo 2012 [18], China

28 days, 1 year

I: 4.34 (4.29) years

C: 4.52 (4.45) years

I: 60/60;

C: 60/60

I: 34.64 (11.35), 38/22;

C: 35.20 (10.43), 34/26

Modified YPFS (oral)

Cetirizine Hydrochloride

(oral, 10 mg once per day)

NS

 Wu 2013 [19], China

14 days, 1 year

I: 5 (1–11) years;

C: 6 (1–8) years

I: 50/50;

C: 50/50

I: 36, 22/28;

C: 39, 27/23

Yu ping zhi ti granule (oral)

Loratadine (oral, 10 mg before bedtime)

NS

 Wang 2009 [20], China

14 days, 1 month

I: 4.34 (4.29) years;

C: 4.52 (4.45) years

I: 30/30;

C: 30/30

I: 34.64 (11.35), 19/11;

C: 35.2 (10.43), 17/13

Modified YPFS (oral)

Cetirizine Hydrochloride (oral, 10 mg once per day)

NS

 Guo 2015 [21], China

15 days, NS

I: NS;

C:NS

I: 35/35;

C: 35/35

I: 26.5 (6.3), 20/15;

C: 32 (4.3), 16 /19

Yu ping feng granule

(oral)

Cetirizine Hydrochloride (oral, 10 mg once per day)

NS

 Yao 2015 [22], China

4 weeks, NS

I: 8. 8(3.5) years;

C: 8.6 (3.1) years

I: 43/43;

C: 40/40

I: 41.8 (5.5), 18/25;

C: 40.3 (4.9), 17 /23

Modified YPFS (oral)

Cetirizine Hydrochlorde (oral, 10 mg before bedtime)

No AE

 Shi 2014 [24], China

28 days, No follow up

I: 4.18 (2.82) years;

C: 4.67 (2.33) years

I: 44/44;

C: 32/32

I: 36.5 (17.5), 23/21

C: 37.5 (16.5), 17/15

Yu ping feng drop pill and Cetirizine (oral)

Cetirizine (oral, 10 mg once per day)

No AE

 Lu 2014 [25], China

2 weeks, 8 weeks

I: (1 month-3 years);

C: (1 month-2.5 years)

I: 40/40

C: 40/40

I: 40.3 (10.5), 28/12;

C: 38.0 (11.2), 27/13

Yu ping feng granule (oral) + Ebastine (oral), Fluticasone propionate (nasal spray)

Ebastine (oral, 10 mg once per day), Fluticasone propionate (nasal spray, two sprays each nostril, once per day)

No AE

 Zhou 2010 [26], China

1 month; NS

I: NS;

C:NS

I: 36/36;

C: 36/36

I: 45.5, 15/21;

C: 43.6, 15/21

Yu ping feng granule (oral)

+ Budesonide aerosol (nasal spray)

Budesonide aerosol (nasal spray, two sprays each nostril, twice per day)

No AE

 Huang 2014 [27], China

4 weeks; 3 months

I: 12.7 (3.1) months;

C:11.2 (2.5) months

I: 74/74;

C: 71/71

I: 30.3 (3.4), 40/34;

C: 31.2 (2.7), 38/33

Modified YPFS (oral)

+ Cetirizine Hydrochloride (oral); Budesonide aerosol (nasal spray)

Cetirizine Hydrochloride (oral, one spray each nostril, twice per day), Budesonide aerosol (nasal spray, 10 mg once per day)

NS

 Liu 2012 [28], China

30 days; NS

I: 4 years;

C: 4 years

I: 30/28;

C: 30/29

I: 39.25 (5.58), 13/15;

C: 39.97 (4.15), 15/14

Modified YPFS

+ Loratadine (oral)

Loratadine (oral, 10 mg once per day)

No AE

 Chen 2014 [29], China

28 days; 6 months

I: NS;

C: NS

I: 60/60;

C: 60/60

I: NS, NS;

C: NS, NS

Modified YPFS + Cetirizine (oral)

Cetirizine (oral, 10 mg once per day)

I: skin rash (2), vomit (1), nausea (2); C:skin rash (5), vomit (4), nausea (3)

 Lin 2014 [30], China

30 days; NS

I: 4.25 (1) years;

C:4.28 (1.05) years

I: 30/28;

C: 30/29

I:33.18 (11.42), 16/12;

C:33.89 (9.35), 16/13

Modified YPFS + Cetirizine (oral)

Cetirizine (oral, 10 mg once per day)

No AE

 Guan 2013 [31], China

14 days; NS

I: NS;

C: NS

I: 27/27;

C: 26/26

I: NS, NS;

C: NS, NS

YPFS (oral) + Budesonide aerosol (nasal spray)

Budesonide aerosol (nasal spray, 64μg each nostril, twice per day)

I: sedation (1), local mucosa irritation (2); C: local mucosa irritation (2), skin rash (2)

 Chen 2015 [32],China

21 days; NS

I: 5.92(4.07) years;

C: 6.16(4.39) years

I: 63/63;

C: 63/63

I:35.36 (7.19), 35/28;

C:34.18 (6.82), 33/30

Modified YPFS (oral)

+ Azelastine (nasal spray);

Azelastine (nasal spray, one spray each nostril, twice per day)

NS

 Ma 2017 [33],China

4 weeks; NS

I: 5.1(0.3) years;

C: 5.3(0.6) years

I: 37/37;

C: 37/37

I: 38.6 (6.9), 21/16;

C: 37.9 (6.5), 20/17

Yu ping feng granule (oral) + Azelastine (nasal spray);

Azelastine (nasal spray, one spray each nostril, twice per day)

NS

 Qiu 2017 [34],China

2 weeks; NS

I: 7.83(1.35) years;

C: 7.68(1.40) years

I: 50/50;

C: 50/50

I: 35.41 (7.35),28/22;

C: 36.07 (7.18),29/21

Yu ping feng granule (oral) + Ebastine (oral);

Ebastine (oral, 10 mg once per day)

NS

4 weeks; NS

I: 7.7(1.3) years;

C: 8.1(1.5) years

I: 36/36;

C: 36/36

I: 42.7 (12.3),18/18;

C: 43.1 (11.6),20/16

Yu ping feng granule (oral) + Levocetirizine (oral);

Levocetirizine (oral, 5 mg once per day)

No AE

 Yu 2012 [23], China

14 days; NS

I: 2.7 (0.5) years;

C1: 2.8 (0.4) years;

C2: 2.5 (0.6) years

I: 60/60;

C1: 60/60;

C2: 60/60;

I:32.9 (6.4), 33/27;

C1: 34.0 (5.9), 31/29;

C2: 33.0 (6.1), 32/28

YPFS plus Cang er zi san (oral)

C1: Azelastine Hydrochloride (nasal spray, one spray each nostril, twice per day);

C2: YPFS plus Cang er zi san (oral) + Azelastine Hydrochloride (nasal spray, one spray each nostril, twice per day)

I: no AE;

C1 and C2: dryness in the nasal cavity (6)