Infantile regurgitation is a common discomfort noted in the first months of life. Infantile colic and, among older children, functional dyspepsia, have been associated with migraine.

A study was conducted to determine the plausible association between infantile regurgitation and primary headaches in children. A case-control study was conducted with 195 children, aged between 6 and 17 years, with primary headache (migraine, or tension type headache) in five pediatric hospitals. The control group included 240 children of the same age, attending with minor injuries during the same period from February 1, 2020 to December 1, 2020.

A structured questionnaire was developed to determine a history of infantile regurgitation and other functional gastrointestinal disorders for both the groups. The outcome was difference in the prevalence of infantile regurgitation in children with or without primary headache.

• A significant association was evident between infantile regurgitation and migraine (OR = 1.88, CI 95 = 1.01-3.4, p = 0.04).
• There was no association between infantile regurgitation and tension type headache (p = 0.33).
• Subgroup analysis revealed that the association was significant only for migraine without aura (OR = 2.3, CI 95 = 1.2-4.4, p = 0.01).
• Further subgroup analysis revealed an association between the presence of functional dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome and abdominal migraine, and migraine without aura.

It was concluded that migraine among children aged 6-17 years is tied to a history of infantile regurgitation.

Further longitudinal studies are needed to validate if infantile regurgitation could be considered as a precursor of migraine.

Source: Lenglart L, Raieli V, Sciruicchio V, et al. The association between gastro-oesophageal reflux and migraine in the paediatric population: a multicentre case-control study. Eur J Pediatr. 2022 Jan 10;1-9.