New guidelines for children with migraine

Researchers are realizing how crucial it is to understand migraine in children. Many questions need to be answered – are migraine triggers the same in children as adults? What medications work for children, and which ones don’t? What about alternative therapies?

The American Academy of Neurology and the Child Neurology Society published some new guidelines to summarize some of the findings to date. Both ibuprofen and acetaminophen have been found to be good treatments for migraine symptoms. Sumatriptan nasal spray is also an effective treatment in adolescents, but oral triptans so far don’t seem to be all that helpful.

The recent report is a good reminder that we need to watch for symptoms in children, and not just treat them with the medication we use but take them to a doctor and be well informed ourselves.