Children hit by migraines

Forty per cent of children had daily headaches

Living with severe headaches can be as devastating for children as living with cancer symptoms, researchers have claimed.

US doctors say one in 10 children and one in four teenagers are affected by headaches.

They say the children who experience regular, severe headaches appear to have more emotional problems and difficulties at school than children with other serious, chronic medical conditions such as cancer and rheumatic diseases.

Researchers examined 572 children and teenagers adolescents being treated at the Cincinnati Children's Headache Center.

In young children the predominant symptoms are abdominal pain often accompanied by nausea and vomiting

Migraine Action Association UK

Virtually all had been diagnosed as experiencing migraines, and 40% had chronic daily headaches.

The children and their parents were questioned about the severity of headaches and the effect on quality of life.

The results were then compared to replies from healthy and chronically ill children.

It was found children who experienced migraines had more problems and school and emotional difficulties than children with other chronic illnesses.

Children with headaches also had a poorer quality of life in terms of performance at school, emotional wellbeing and physical health than healthy children.

Dizziness

Dr Scott Powers, joint director of the Headache Center, said: "Headaches are a common problem found in about one of every 10 children and four adolescents.

"The fact that the impact of these headaches is at least equal to that of childhood illnesses often considered more severe and debilitating suggests that paediatricians and other caregivers should place more emphasis on their recognition, diagnosis and effective treatment."

A spokesperson for the UK's Migraine Action Association said it was known children and even babies could suffer from migraine.

She added: "Sometimes in young children the predominant symptoms are abdominal pain often accompanied by nausea and vomiting and it is only the regular intermittent pattern of the attacks, sometimes coupled with a family history of migraine that suggest the diagnosis.

"When the more typical migraine symptom of headache occurs in children they will often report it in the forehead or the middle of the head rather than on one side.

"Children may also experience symptoms including pallor, sometimes with dark rings around the eyes, dizziness, confusion, lack of co-ordination or occasionally non specific aches and pains in the limbs.

"They often have a tendency to travel sickness."

The Migraine Action Association advises parents keep a diary to establish if there is a pattern to the attacks.

They say avoiding trigger factors, such as long gaps between food, can improve a child's condition.

The research is published in the journal Pediatrics.