Headache and acute illness in children
Insights
Children experiencing headaches, especially those with fever or a family history of migraine, may be at higher risk for developing future migraines. Further research is needed to confirm this link.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Clinical Epidemiology
Background:
- Headaches are a common complaint in children presenting to walk-in clinics.
- The relationship between acute illness, fever, and headache characteristics in children requires further investigation.
- Understanding headache precursors is crucial for early diagnosis and management of conditions like migraine.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between fever and headache characteristics in children.
- To explore factors associated with headache intensity and type in a pediatric population.
- To examine the prevalence of migraine family history in children with headaches and its potential link to acute illness.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study matching 37 children with headaches to 37 headache-free controls.
- Data collection included body temperature, pain characteristics (rhythmic vs. nonrhythmic, unilateral vs. bilateral), headache-exacerbating factors, and family history of migraine.
- Statistical analysis was performed to compare groups and identify significant associations.
Main Results:
- A higher percentage of children with headaches had a temperature above 38°C compared to controls (30% vs. 11%, p<0.05).
- Nonrhythmic headaches were more frequently associated with fever than rhythmic headaches (p<0.05).
- Increased headache intensity correlated with more exacerbating factors (p<0.01), and bilateral headaches were more painful than unilateral ones.
Conclusions:
- Fever may be a significant factor in pediatric headaches, particularly nonrhythmic types.
- Headache intensity and characteristics in children can be influenced by underlying illness and genetic predisposition (family history of migraine).
- Headaches associated with acute illnesses in childhood might serve as a precursor to adult migraine.
Abstract:
Thirty-seven children with headaches who were seen in a walk-in clinic were matched to 37 headache-free controls. Thirty percent of the headache group and 11% of the headache-free control group had a body temperature above 38 degrees C (p less than 0.05). Nonrhythmic pain was more commonly associated with fever than was rhythmic pain (p less than 0.05). Of 34 headache subjects who completed questionnaires, those with more intense headaches reported a greater number of headache-exacerbating factors (p less than 0.01). Bilateral headaches were more painful than unilateral headaches, and in two thirds of the subjects, the intensity of pain paralleled the course of the underlying illness. A family history of migraine was more common in the headache group as compared to the headache-free control group (p less than 0.05). Headaches associated with acute illnesses may be a precursor to later migraine.
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