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Association between childhood migraine and history of infantile colic

Silvia Romanello1, Daniele Spiri, Elena Marcuzzi

  • 1Department of Pediatric Emergency Care, APHP-Hospital Robert Debré, Paris, France.

JAMA
|April 18, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Children diagnosed with migraine were significantly more likely to have a history of infantile colic. This suggests a potential link between early-life pain and later migraine development in pediatric populations.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Pain Syndromes
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Infantile colic is a common condition causing inconsolable crying in infants, often perceived as a pain syndrome.
  • Migraine is a prevalent cause of headache pain in childhood.
  • The potential association between infantile colic and childhood migraine remains unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate a possible association between infantile colic and the development of migraines in childhood.
  • To determine if a history of infantile colic is more common in children diagnosed with migraine.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study involving 208 children (aged 6-18) diagnosed with migraine and 471 controls (aged 6-18) presenting with minor trauma.
  • Data on infantile colic history were collected via structured questionnaires and confirmed with health booklets.
  • A secondary study included 120 children with tension-type headaches to assess the specificity of the observed association.

Main Results:

  • Children with migraine showed a significantly higher prevalence of infantile colic history (72.6%) compared to controls (26.5%), with an odds ratio of 6.61 (95% CI, 4.38-10.00).
  • This association was consistent for both migraine with aura and migraine without aura subtypes.
  • No significant association was found between infantile colic and tension-type headaches (OR, 1.46; P = .10).

Conclusions:

  • A history of infantile colic is significantly associated with the presence of migraine in children and adolescents.
  • The findings suggest a potential link between early-life pain experiences and the later development of migraine.
  • Further longitudinal research is warranted to confirm this association and explore underlying mechanisms.
Abstract

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