Also keep in mind that some headache complaints may be functional in nature. For example, if a particular child gets significant attention with their headaches, there may be some associated secondary gain. A child also might be mimicking adult behavior. If the parents complain frequently about headaches, you might find the kid also complains about headaches.
Although pediatric and adult migraines share many of the same features, the good news is pediatric migraines are frequently not as severe or as protracted in children as they are for adults, and are often highly responsive to treatment. It can be very rewarding managing children with headaches because so many do well.
Dr. Berenson is a pediatric neurologist and section chief of neurology at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. He is also in private practice at Atlanta Headache Specialists and Pediatric and Adolescent NeuroDevelopmental Associates (PANDA) Neurology. He said he had no relevant financial disclosures.