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Allergic diseases in early childhood and their association with migraine: a large-scale retrospective study
Shay Nemet1,2, Meirav Har-Even3, Avner Herman Cohen4,5
1Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit, Kaplan Medical Center, Rehovot, Israel.
Insights
Pediatric migraine is linked to early childhood allergies, with allergic conditions associated with earlier migraine onset. This suggests allergies may influence migraine susceptibility in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Allergy and Immunology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Migraine is a common neurological disorder in children.
- The connection between early childhood allergic diseases and pediatric migraine is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and patterns of allergic disorders in children diagnosed with migraine.
- To compare demographic characteristics and allergic comorbidities between children with and without migraine.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of electronic medical records (2000-2023) for children aged 5-18 with migraine.
- Inclusion criteria: diagnosis of allergic disease in early childhood (birth to 5 years).
- Comparison of demographic data and allergic comorbidities between migraine patients with and without allergic disease.
Main Results:
- Over 32% of 6,839 children with migraine had at least one allergic comorbidity.
- Children with allergies were diagnosed with migraine at a younger age (median 3 vs. 4 years).
- Atopic dermatitis was the most common allergy (41.7%); asthma showed a male predominance.
Conclusions:
- Early childhood allergic diseases are associated with earlier migraine diagnosis and specific demographic profiles in children.
- Allergic phenotypes in early life may contribute to migraine susceptibility.
- Further research is needed to explore underlying mechanisms and the impact of managing allergies on migraine outcomes.
Introduction:
Migraine is a common pediatric neurological disorder, and its relationship with allergic disease in early childhood remains incompletely defined.
Objective:
To explore the prevalence and distribution of allergic disorders among children with migraine.
Methods:
The electronic medical records from a large Health Maintenance Organization were searched, spanning from 2000 to 2023, for children from birth to 5 years of age diagnosed with allergic diseases who were diagnosed with migraine at age 5-18 years. Demographic characteristics and allergic comorbidities were analyzed and compared between children with migraine with and without allergic disease.
Results:
Among 6,839 children with migraine, 2,216 (32.4%) had at least one allergic comorbidity. Children with allergic disease presented at a younger age than those without allergies (median age 3 vs. 4 years, p < 0.001). Asthma was the only allergic disease that demonstrated a significant sex difference, being more common in males (p = 0.011). High socioeconomic status was the most common category in most allergic diseases, except for asthma. Atopic dermatitis was the most common allergic condition (41.7%), and multimorbidity was uncommon.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrates that allergic diseases in early childhood are associated with younger age at migraine diagnosis and with distinct demographic patterns. The distribution of allergic phenotypes in early-life observed in the cohort may play a role in migraine susceptibility. Future research should explore the mechanistic pathways linking early-childhood atopy and migraine and evaluate whether targeted management of allergic diseases can modify migraine outcomes in children.
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