What are the characteristics of childhood migraine?
Children may experience migraine auras, which are symptoms that typically signal the onset of a migraine attack. Auras can affect vision, sensation, balance, muscle strength and control. Most children with migraine, however, do not experience an aura before their migraine attacks. The head pain associated with migraine can occur on one or both sides of the head and most commonly occurs in the forehead or temples. The pain is often of moderate to severe intensity and has a pulsating quality. Migraine attacks in children can be brief and may last only one hour, but some attacks can last up to two days in duration. Approximately 50-75% of children who experience migraine will stop having attacks between adolescence and early adulthood, but some will go on to redevelop migraine headaches later in life. Approximately 20% of adults who have migraine headaches report the onset of their first migraine attack before the age of 10 years old.
