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A child who becomes pale, stops playing, curls up like a gun dog… These are perhaps the first signs of a migraine attack, a very painful disease that affects more than 5% of children under 5 years old.
Migraine: symptoms specific to children
In children, this disease affects boys more than girls and it causes pain on both sides of the head or over the entire surface of the skull.
“It hits the head. “. The child feels like ‘it’s banging in his head’ and the pain is even more severe if he lowers his head, sneezes or jumps, for example. But in some, migraine only results in digestive upset or abdominal pain. The little migraine sufferer has a heartache, stomach ache, he can vomit, cannot stand the light or the noise. More rarely, he sees in a distorted way or spots appear in front of his eyes.
Regular recurrences. The seizures generally last less than 2 hours, but the same symptoms reappear, depending on the case, every week or every fortnight? Each time, the crisis sets in in the same way: the child suddenly looks tired, he turns pale, buries his head in his arms, becomes irritable.
Migraine in children: a genetic origin
60 to 70% of children with migraine have a parent or grandparent who suffers from it.
An abnormality of neurons. Migraine is the result of a genetic defect in the membranes that surround neurons in the brain. Serotonin, a substance that allows nerve cells to transmit their messages, causes blood vessels to dilate and contract abnormally. It is this alternation of contractions and dilations that causes the sensation of pain.
Triggering factors. A sudden exertion, an infection (nasopharyngitis, otitis), stress, lack of sleep or even a big annoyance can also trigger a migraine attack.
A consultation is necessary for migraine in children
It is essential to see a doctor to make sure that it is indeed migraines and not of headaches due to an infection or a shock for example.
A complete examination. To confirm his diagnosis, the doctor does his clinical examination, then checks the child’s reflexes, his walking, his balance, his vision and his attention. If everything is normal, it is a migraine.
Targeted questions. The doctor also questions the child and his parents to try to identify all the factors that promote the onset of migraines: excessive heat, sporting activity, severe anger, television, etc.
Treatments for migraine in children
Pain medication. The doctor usually prescribes ibuprofen or paracetamol for the pain and possibly an antiemetic which acts against vomiting. In the most serious forms, from the age of 3 years, a drug against vertigo can be added to it to be taken as a basic treatment for three months. If the seizures are repeated and are very important, he will refer his little patient to a specialist.
Rest and calm. While waiting for the drugs to work, and at the first signs, the child should be laid down in the dark, in a quiet room, with a damp cloth on the forehead. He needs calm, in order to be able to fall asleep. Combined with drugs, sleep is indeed very effective in stopping the crisis.
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