Migraine headaches are fairly common in children, and pose a greater challenge because of the inability of children to describe the problem properly. Estimates suggest that between 5 to 10% children may suffer from migraine. It is more common in girls, and in boys they are seen more frequently at the age of 10 to 12 years. In teenage girls it is often associated with menstrual cycle.

Migraine is an episodic and recurrent severe headache, pulsating in character, which is often associated with nausea and vomiting. A typical attack of migraine can last from one hour to three days, and can be debilitating enough to interfere with normal daily activities. Sometimes, an attack of migraine is preceded with vision disturbances like blurring, flashing lights, colored spots or even dizziness, symptoms referred to as 'aura' which occur a few minutes before the headache begins.

Migraine is believed to be caused by dilation of blood vessels in the brain because of deficiency of a chemical 'serotonin' which constricts them. This dilation causes the stimulation of nerves that carry the pain sensation thereby leading to headache and other symptoms. However, recent researches have indicated a more complex causation involving genetic defects that affect different parts of brain. Incidentally, migraine often runs in families, and a history of family members having migraine should alert to the possibility of recurrent headache being migraine.

In children too, migraine produces severe symptoms, but its description may differ from child to child. Some typical descriptions are:

"I feel as if my heart is pounding in my head."

"I feel like being placed inside a big bass drum."

Many children, specially younger ones are unable to clearly express their experience. Typically they will become very inactive, try to hide themselves alone, not be active at all or just go and lie down and sleep at unlikely hours of the day. The headache of migraine is relieved by sleep, and aggravated by sound and lights. A child having a migraine headache would usually not prefer to watch television.

Migraine headaches recur, and in extreme cases they can recur up to 3 times in a week. These headaches are precipitated by certain factors like loud sounds, bright lights, unusual exertion, sudden change in environment, lack of sleeping or change in sleeping habits and certain foods. Often it is possible to identify the factor that triggered migraine.

There is a long list of foods that

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