Study finds Growing Pains in Children Linked to Migraine Risk

Children and adolescents often complain of pain in their lower limbs, a phenomenon frequently attributed to "growing pains" by medical professionals. However, a recent study published in the Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain found the connection between these growing pains and a heightened risk of migraine in later life.

The study aimed to investigate the relationship between growing pains (GP) in children and the development of migraine in later years, shedding light on whether these pains could be a precursor or comorbidity to this debilitating neurological condition.

Conducted as a cross-sectional, prospective, longitudinal cohort study, researchers recruited 100 children and adolescents born to mothers with migraine, ensuring an equal ratio of participants in both groups: those with growing pains and controls. The participants were followed for a period of five years.

After five years of meticulous follow-up, 78 participants completed the study, with 42 belonging to the group that reported growing pains and 36 serving as controls. The results were astonishing. Among those with growing pains, a significant 76% of participants developed migraine without aura or probable migraine, according to the diagnostic criteria outlined in the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition. In stark contrast, only 22% of the control group experienced migraines (p < 0.001).

Furthermore, the study revealed an intriguing shift. Among the group initially reporting growing pains, 14% continued to experience them after five years. On the other hand, 39% of those who were initially asymptomatic developed growing pains during this time (p = 0.026).

The findings of this study challenge the conventional understanding of growing pains in children and adolescents. Previously believed to be benign and unrelated to organic disease, these pains may serve as a precursor or comorbidity to migraine. The study suggests a significant association between growing pains and the development of migraines, raising questions about the underlying mechanisms linking these two phenomena.

Source:

Silva‐Néto, R. P., Soares, A. de A., Souza, W. P. de O., Krymchantowski, A. G., Jevoux, C., & Krymchantowski, A. (2023). “Growing pains” in children and adolescents as an early symptom of migraine: A prospective study. In Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1111/head.14608