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Published on: June 2, 2014
Infantile colic associated with childhood migraine: A prospective cohort study
Matti Sillanpää1, Maiju Saarinen2
1Department of Public Health, University of Turku, Finland Department of Child Neurology, University of Turku, Finland matti.sillanpaa@utu.fi.
Insights
Infantile colic is linked to a higher risk of adolescent migraine without aura. Further research is needed to understand if colic is a precursor to future migraines.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Infantile colic is a common condition in newborns.
- Migraine is a prevalent neurological disorder in adolescents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential association between infantile colic and the development of adolescent migraine.
Main Methods:
- Prospective follow-up of families from a randomized general population sample.
- Data collection on infantile colic in the first 3 months and adolescent migraine at age 18.
Main Results:
- Infants with colic had a nearly three-fold increased risk of developing migraine without aura by age 18.
- No significant association was found between infantile colic and migraine with aura.
- 23% of adolescents with a history of infantile colic experienced migraine without aura, compared to 11% without such history.
Conclusions:
- Infantile colic may be an independent risk factor for migraine without aura in adolescence.
- The findings suggest a potential link between early-life crying patterns and later migraine development.
- Further research is required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and the nature of this association.
Purpose:
To explore the association between infantile colic and adolescent migraine.
Method:
In a randomized general population sample, families expecting their first child were prospectively followed for infantile colic and adolescent migraine.
Results:
Colic was diagnosed in 160 (13%) of 1267 infants until the age of 3 months. Migraine was ascertained in 129 (16%) of 787 adolescents at age 18 years. History of infantile colic was identified in 96 (12%) of 787 adolescents and no such history in 658 (88%) of 787 adolescents. Migraine was present in 22 (23%)/96 adolescents who had a history of infantile colic, but in only 74 (11%)/658 ones who had no such history. Of the 22 adolescents, 14 (64%) had migraine without aura and eight (36%) had migraine with aura. Infants with colic had an almost three-fold risk (risk ratio 2.8, 95% confidence interval 1.2-6.5) for adolescent migraine without aura, but no increased risk for migraine with aura (0.8, 0.3-2.2).
Discussion And Conclusions:
Infantile colic seems to be associated with an increased risk for migraine without aura, but not for migraine with aura. Whether infantile colic per se is a type of infantile migraine or an antecedent of future migraine remains to be answered by further research.
