Natural history of childhood migraine

• based on an observational study (1) involving 73 children with migraine. These children were followed up for 40 years
  • 29% of study members had had migraine attacks at least once per year during the follow-up period
  • more than 50% of study members reported having migraines in their 50s
  • 25% of patients stopped having migraines by the age of 25

Early onset of migraine seems predictive for a less favourable outcome in later ages. Some studies suggest that the onset of migraine at a very young age represents an unfavourable prognostic factor for the persistence of migraine at later ages. Some clinical features may change during the clinical course, and the active persistence of migraine may lead to an increase in allodynia. (2)

One study reported an 80% improvement in migraines by the age of 10. (3)

Reference:

1. Bille B. A 40-year follow-up of school children with migraine. Cephalgia 1997;17:488-91.
2. Marchese F et al. Migraine in children under 6 years of age: A long-term follow-up study. Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2020 Jul;27:67-71
3. Dooley J, Bagnell A. The prognosis and treatment of headaches in children - a ten year follow-up. Can J Neurol Sci. 1995 Feb;22(1):47-9.