Navigating Health

A migraine can be a very distressing and debilitating condition, and it can affect children as well as adults. The symptoms of childhood migraine may be different to the adult form the main symptom is usually abdominal pain, although headaches and other adult symptoms may occur as the child gets older. Migraines can affect children as young as two and will usually recur. The cause is not fully understood, and there will often be a history of migraines in the family. Statically, more girls than boys suffer from migraines.

About 1in every 20 children has suffered a migraine by the age of 15, and the children as young as 2 have been infected. The exact cause of migraines is not fully understood but may be connected to changes in the blood flow inside the skull. Temporary alterations in brain chemicals may also be a factor, causing symptoms elsewhere in the body. Migraines attacks may be triggered by stress and anxiety, or by particular food substances-some of the most common food triggers are bananas, chocolate, citrus fruits and cheese. Perfume, petrol, tobacco smoke and other inhaled substances may recurrent attacks.

As with adult migraines, the symptoms usually develop gradually over several hours, and an attack can last for several days. In most cases, the child will suffer from recurrent attacks. Since dietary factors may be significant in approximately 10 percent of cases, your doctor may arrange for the child and parents to see a dietician. This is often helpful because it can pinpoint any dietary triggers for the attacks and these foods can then simply be avoided. The migraines often disappear once a child reaches adulthood, however, in some cases migraine episodes will continue throughout life.

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