Headaches in Children
Headaches in Children by Dr Jennifer Barham-Floreani
Just like adults, children can become “out of sorts” and end up with headaches due to knocks or falls, poor diet, a lack of sleep or a lack of water. Interestingly, they are also susceptible to stress particularly when it relates to family matters – one such presentation for stress even in children may be headaches or abdominal migraines.
Headaches are a common problem for adults however they also affect a large number of children. A 2006 study reported that over 3.7 million American children between the ages of 4 and 17 experienced headaches in the previous 12 months (1). A study of Australian children found that only 36.8% of 10-18 year olds had never experienced a headache (2). Headaches are in fact one of the top 5 health problems experienced by children (3).
Should parents worry about their child’s headache?
Any headache in a child should be discussed with a health practitioner. It is possible for headaches in children to be caused by serious underlying conditions, however this is rare and there are generally other highly concerning signs and symptoms such as paralysis, drowsiness or loss of consciousness (3). A new headache that is progressively worsening over days to weeks, or a persistent one-sided headache are cause for concern (3). Most commonly however, childhood headaches are tension-type and migraine, and in 60% of cases they run in the family (1,4). Aside from pain and discomfort, childhood headaches can lead to missed days at school, poor school performance and emotional difficulties (4). Read more