Child With Headache. Is It Migraine?

Posted on Wed, 11 Sep 2013

Question: Hello! Wanted to check over our 3 yr 4 mo old daughter. She started complaining today about having a headache. Later she was saying it does not hurt but when asked she confirmed she had it earlier. She did not sleep during the day but still looks little less active than usual. She is also little pale. Appart from that everything seems to be normal. Perhaps a little more attached to mommy.

How worried should we be? How bad can it be? We've heard for toddlers the headaches are uncommon, does it mean then something really bad eg tumor?

Myself i hardly get any headaches yet my wife suffers from regular mugraines.

With best regards
XXXX

Answered by Dr. Sudhir Kumar (6 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Your daughter!such symptoms are not like tumor

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

Thank you for posting your query.

Your daughter's symptoms are most likely suggestive of pediatric migraine, and it is not uncommon to find migraine in toddlers, especially with a family history present.
Regarding tumors, it is uncommon, especially with this presentation. Please watch for symptoms such as vomiting, blurred vision or double vision, weakness of arm or leg, etc. These would warrant a brain scan to look for other causes of headache including tumor.

So, as of now, I would like to reassure you that your daughter's symptoms are not suggestive of brain tumor.

Best wishes,
Dr Sudhir Kumar MD DM (Neurology) XXXXXXX Consultant Neurologist

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar