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Published on: June 2, 2014
Primary headache disorders in children under 7 years of age
S Ramdas1, M Prasad, I Abu-Arafeh
1Stirling Royal Infirmary, UK.
Insights
Migraine is the most common headache disorder in young children under seven. Atypical presentations are frequent, and chronic tension-type headache can occur in early childhood.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Headache Medicine
Background:
- Limited research exists on headache disorders in young children.
- Understanding causes and clinical features in this age group is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the causes and clinical presentations of headaches in young children.
- To analyze data from children attending a specialist headache clinic.
Main Methods:
- Prospective data collection over a 9-year period.
- Inclusion of all children attending the specialist headache clinic.
- Diagnosis based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders-II (2004).
Main Results:
- 73 children (8%) under 7 years of age were analyzed.
- Migraine was the most frequent diagnosis (34 children).
- Atypical presentations and unclassified headaches (20%) were noted, with chronic tension-type headache observed.
Conclusions:
- Migraine is the predominant headache disorder in young children presenting to specialist clinics.
- Headache presentations in young children are often atypical.
- Chronic tension-type headache can manifest in early childhood, challenging previous assumptions.
Background And Aim:
Research on headache disorders in young children is limited. This study aims to determine causes and clinical presentations of headache in young children attending a specialist clinic.
Methods And Results:
All children attending the headache clinic over 9-year period were included. Data were collected prospectively on demography and clinical presentations of headache at every attendance. The diagnosis of headache disorders was based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders-II (2004). Of the 921 children (491 male) who attended the clinic, 73 children (8%) were under 7 years of age at presentation; 34 children had migraine, 11 had tension-type headache (4 chronic), 4 had mixed types of headache and 16 children had unclassified headaches. Anorexia, nausea, vomiting, light intolerance and noise intolerance were common during migraine attacks and forehead was the most common site of maximal pain.
Conclusions:
Migraine is the most common headache disorder in young children attending a specialist clinic. Headache presentation is often atypical and in 20% of young children headache disorders are unclassified. Chronic tension-type headache, often considered a disease of adolescents and adults, is shown to present in early age.
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