The Journal for Nurse Practitioners
Volume 8, Issue 1 , Pages 19-26, January 2012

Abdominal Migraine in Children: Is It All in Their Heads?

  • Aixa I. Catala-Beauchamp, FNP-BC

      Affiliations

    • Aixa I. Catala-Beauchamp, DNP, MSN, MA, FNP-BC, is a pediatric hospitalist for Florida Pediatric Associates, providing medical rounds for hospitalized pediatric patients at Florida Hospital in Orlando.
    • ,
  • Robyn P. Gleason, ARNP

      Affiliations

    • Robyn P. Gleason, PhD, MSN, MPH, ARNP, is associate professor at the University of Florida College of Nursing in Gainesville. In compliance with national ethical guidelines, the authors report no relationships with business or industry that would pose a conflict of interest.

Abstract 

Abdominal migraine in children is a migraine variant, described as isolated, paroxysmal attacks of severe periumbilical abdominal pain associated with nausea, vomiting, pallor, anorexia, headache, and photophobia, with intervening periods of normality. Abdominal migraine is a diagnosis of exclusion, as presenting symptomatology can also be characteristic of other disease processes. An extensive history and physical examination are necessary to differentiate between abdominal migraine and acute abdominal pain. Limited studies have been conducted on the management of children with an acute abdominal migraine attack. Treatment and prophylaxis of acute attacks is essential to reduce recurrence, severity, and extent of pain.

Keywords:  abdominal migraine , childhood periodic syndromes , chronic abdominal pain , functional abdominal pain , migraine subtypes , migraine syndrome

 

 Readers may receive the 1.0 CE credit free by reading the article and answering each question online at www.npjournal.org, or they may mail the test answers and evaluation, along with a processing fee check for $10 made out to Elsevier, to PO Box 540, Ellicott City, MD 21041-0540. Required minimum passing score is 70%.This CE learning activity is designed to augment the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of nurse practitioners and assist in their understanding of diagnosis and treatment of abdominal migraine in children.This educational activity is provided by Nurse Practitioner Alternatives™.NPA™ is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

PII: S1555-4155(11)00334-5

doi:10.1016/j.nurpra.2011.06.007

The Journal for Nurse Practitioners
Volume 8, Issue 1 , Pages 19-26, January 2012

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