1 in 10 kids has chronic headaches

CHICAGO, July 7 � At least one child in 10 suffers chronic headaches that stunt their emotional lives and hurt school performance as much as illnesses such as cancer, researchers said Monday. A study of 572 headache sufferers aged 2 to 18 at the Cincinnati Children�s Headache Center in Ohio concluded that the unpredictable, sometimes daily, attacks diminished quality of life as much as cancer or other diseases.

WE FOUND THAT children with migraines reported a similar pattern of disability as children with rheumatoid disease or cancer,� lead researcher Scott Powers wrote in this month�s issue of the journal Pediatrics.
�The fact that the impact of these headaches is at least equal to that of childhood illnesses often considered more severe and debilitating suggests that pediatricians and other caregivers should place more emphasis on their recognition, diagnosis and effective treatment,� Powers wrote.
Eleven percent of children aged 5 to 15, and 28 percent of 15- to 19-year-olds, suffer chronic headaches, often migraines that can last several hours, the report said. Forty percent of headache-prone children suffer them daily.
�Recurrent headaches have an impact on a child�s life in a number of ways, including school absences and reduction in performance, decreased home and family interactions, and decreased socialization with peers,� the report said.
Powers said many treatment strategies can defuse headaches and lessen their frequency, including training in biofeedback relaxation techniques.

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