Migraine in childhood and its prognosis

In 1955 a population study in Uppsala comprising about 9,000 school children showed that migraine increased from 1.4% at the age of seven to 5.3% at fifteen. With increasing age there was an increasing predominance of girls. A matched comparison between 73 children with more pronounced migraine and 73 control children showed a greater tendency in the migraine group to abdominal pain, motion sickness, sleep disturbance and orthostatic symptoms. In a longitudinal study lasting 23 years the 73 migraine children were followed-up until all were over 30 years of age. During puberty and as young adults 62% were free from migraine for at least two years. Of these, 22% again suffered migraine regularly. Thus, 60% had migraine attacks at 30. Girls seem to have a greater relapse rate than boys. Most of the girls with classical migraine were headache free during pregnancy. Every third family with one parent belonging to the migraine group and with children over four years of age had one child with migraine symptoms. Migraine seems to be more frequently inherited via the mother, and to girls.