Colic In Newborns May Be An Early Symptom Of Migraines

Colic in newborns has long thought to have been a result of gastrointestinal discomfort. A new report, however, suggests that the pain may not be in the stomach, but the head.

Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the study examined the rates of migraines among children in comparison to whether or not they had colic when they were a baby. 

The results were staggering.

In all, 72.6 percent of children who suffered from migraine headaches were more likely to have experienced colic as infants, compared to 26.5 percent among those who did not.

This was true for the two major subtypes of migraines as well - those preceded by sensory warning symptoms (69.7 percent) and those that were not (73.9 percent). 

On the other hand, only 35 percent of children who developed tension headaches had colic as a baby. 

In all, researchers analyzed health records and questionnaires for parents of 208 children ages 6 to 18 who were diagnosed with migraines. This information was then compared to 471 who were not. In addition, 120 children who experienced tension headaches were examined.

Migraines are known to be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and extreme sensitivity to light and sound and can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. 

According to WebMD, 20 percent of adults who suffer from headaches say they started before age 10. Additionally, 5 percent of people report having had a migraine by age five. 

While most headaches are not serious, doctors from the Mayo Clinic urge parents to take a child in if they occur at least once a week, follow an injury, feature persistent vomiting or visual changes or, as in some cases, are accompanied by a fever along with neck pain or stiffness.