Fast Fact : About one in every 20 kids gets migraines — that ’ s nearly 8 million children with migraine in the U . S .
Source : www . kidshealth . org
Minor Misery
Monica Schroeder / Photo Researchers / Getty Images
Studies have shown that many children suffer from migraine headaches , but there is still only one FDA-approved medication for the treatment of migraine in children . Axert was approved in April 2009 for adolescents ages 12-17 .
The National Institutes of Health recently gave Cincinnati Children ’ s Hospital Medical Center a $ 12 million grant to conduct the first clinical trials to determine the best medications to prevent
Children and teens miss more than 130,000 school days every two weeks due to migraines . migraines in children and teens . The trial , which will be a five-year study at up to 40 sites throughout the U . S ., is being led by Andrew Hershey , MD , PhD , and Scott Powers , PhD , co-directors of the Headache Center at Cincinnati Children ’ s Hospital .
“ Children and teens
miss more than 130,000 school days every two weeks due to migraines ,” Dr . Hershey says .
The study will examine 675 children and adolescents between the ages of 8 and 17 . The goal is to compare the effects of amitriptyline and topiramate , two of the most commonly prescribed medications for children and adolescents with migraine .
“ The negative impact of having migraines on overall quality of life is similar to childhood cancer , heart disease and rheumatic disease ,” Powers says .
Advertisement
www . headwisemag . org | National Headache Foundation 15