Migraine in kids is not just a bad headache.

It’s a complicated neurological disease, with head pain and other symptoms, like nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sensitivity to touch, sound, light, and odors. Abdominal pain and mood changes can occur, too. While kids generally have fewer and shorter migraine attacks than adult sufferers, childhood migraine can be just as disabling, and it can seriously affect the child’s quality of life.

Unfortunately, migraine is very common in children. It’s been reported in kids as young as 18 months old. About 10% of school-age children suffer from migraine, and up to 28% of adolescents between 15-19 years are affected by it. Half of all migraine sufferers have their first attack before the age of 12. Before puberty, boys suffer from migraine more often than girls. As adolescence approaches, the incidence increases more rapidly in girls than in boys. By the time they turn 17, as many as 8% of boys and 23% of girls have experienced a migraine.

Although we still don’t know what causes migraine, a combination of genetic and environmental factors are likely involved. A child who has one parent with migraine has a 50% chance of inheriting it, and if both parents have migraine, the chances rise to 75%. More than half of migraine sufferers have a close relative with the disease.

Migraine in children and teens often goes untreated because, unlike adults, children have a more difficult time understanding the pain and disruption caused by their migraine. As a result, children with migraine are often asked to sit through school days even while experiencing severe symptoms—a truly devastating experience for children, and the parents who feel helpless in providing relief for their child.

Pediatric migraine symptoms

Migraine symptoms vary between younger children and adults. There are children who have a more classic migraine presentation, similar to what an adult experiences, where pain is a predominant symptom. In younger children, we see more common GI symptoms including vomiting and stomach pain. In addition, while adults typically have one-sided headaches, children often experience pain on both sides of the head, and the headaches are commonly accompanied by sensitivity to light and sound. Pediatric migraines are usually much shorter than adult migraines, making them hard to treat. Sometimes the child will develop severe pain and belly pain or nausea, and then vomit, and then the episode’s over. Even though these episodes are brief, they are still extremely painful and disruptive for children.

IPS Research is seeking participants for a clinical trial of an investigational medication to help treat migraine headaches in children.

Qualified Participants:

• Between the ages of 6 to 17
• Have a history of migraine headaches

Qualified participants may receive:

• Study-related care and study drug at no cost
• Compensation for time and travel

For more information, you can contact us at 405-235-8188, by email at info@ipsresearch.com or complete the trial application and we will be in touch shortly.