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Child with New Onset Headache

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Symptom-Based Approach to Pediatric Neurology

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Abstract

Headache is a common complaint in the pediatric population and almost all children experience a headache at some point during their childhood. This symptom can cause significant anxiety for the family and the clinician. Majority of pediatric headaches are primary headache disorders, such as migraine and tension-type headaches, or due to a benign secondary etiology, but in a small proportion, they can be due to serious life-threatening conditions. Therefore, an efficient, organized, and methodical approach to the patient’s history and physical examination are essential to recognize the “red flags” for secondary headache and it will help to pursue appropriate diagnostic testing and guide management. Even a primary headache disorder may cause significant disability, including missed school days and extracurricular activities. Hence, all headaches should be managed appropriately in the pediatric population to improve quality of life for children and their families.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatrix-Child Neurology Consultants of Austin (CNCA), Austin, Texas, USA

    Riddhiben Patel

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  1. Riddhiben Patel
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Deepak M. Kamat

  2. Pediatrics and Neurology, Central Michigan University Children’s Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI, USA

    Lalitha Sivaswamy

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Patel, R. (2022). Child with New Onset Headache. In: Kamat, D.M., Sivaswamy, L. (eds) Symptom-Based Approach to Pediatric Neurology . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10494-7_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10494-7_20

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-10493-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-10494-7

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