Childhood Migraines

Powers SW, Patton SR, Hommel KA, et al: Quality of life in childhood migraines: clinical impact and comparison to other chronic illnesses. Pediatrics 2003; 112(1):e1-e5.

Migraine headaches significantly affect children's academic and emotional functioning. The child's quality of life is impacted by school absences, lowered grades, decreased home and family interaction and decreased peer socializations. This study looks at quality of life for 572 children with headaches between the ages of 2 and 18 years.

The criteria for diagnosis of childhood migraine is based on International Headache Society (IHS)criteria and clinical impressions. The IHS criteria define migraines as 5 migraine headaches without aura that last 2 to 72 hours depending on the age of the child; 2 of 4 features of pulsatile quality, focal location, aggravated by physical activity, or moderate to severe pain; plus associated symptoms of nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia. The children and parents completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Version 4.0, which is a 23-item measure of physical, emotional, social, and school functioning. Results were compared with established norms for healthy and chronically ill children (cancer and rheumatologic disease). The impact of headaches on quality of life is similar to issues found in other chronic illnesses, but school and emotional functioning are most significant with headaches. The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, Version 4.0 is one way to evaluate the quality of life for these children and lead to better management.