Children who experienced migraine headaches commonly had colic in infancy, suggesting a possible connection between the two conditions, a new study says.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, colic affects one in five infants and is associated with crying that lasts more than three hours a day, usually at the same time each day.
The new findings suggest infant colic and migraines may be symptoms of the same underlying condition, said study researcher Dr. Luigi Titomanlio, of the pediatric emergency department at Robert Debré Hospital in Paris.
However, the study found only an association, and cannot prove that infant colic is an early sign of migraine headaches. And even if this were true, researchers don't know if colicky babies are experiencing head pain or some other type of discomfort.
"Infantile colic causes pain in babies and high levels of stress in parents. Preventive therapies for migraine could therefore be an option in the future," said study co-author Dr. Luigi Titomanlio, chief of a pediatric migraine clinic at Robert Debre Hospital in Paris.
Among about 200 children and teens who got emergency treatment for migraines in the study, 73 percent had colic as infants, versus 27 percent of children in a control group. That group - 471 kids - got emergency treatment for minor trauma and had no history of recurrent headaches.
A baby is considered colicky if it cries at least three hours a day, three days a week for three weeks, and the crying is not due to a medical problem.
