Lifestyle Adjustments to Manage Pediatric Migraine: Valentina Popova, MD

"Eating breakfast in the morning with some protein is important to try to prevent migraines throughout the day. Hydrating and drinking an adequate amount of water is important as well. For an adult, it’s about 8 to 10 cups a day, but in kids it depends on how big they are. We talk to the kids and parents to individualize this.”

Pediatric migraine is unique and requires an individualized treatment plan with the aid of specialists who understand and have expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of migraine. There are a number of other treatment regimens, including using acute medication, preventive treatment, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Children experiencing an increase in headache frequency may benefit from lifestyle modifications aimed at increasing hydration and sleep, eating regular meals, reducing stress, taking regular breaks in a busy schedule, being more active, and reducing frequent rescue medication use. As Valentina Popova, MD, notes, migraine is a genetic diagnosis that requires children to be educated about at a young age, and developing a regular healthy lifestyle schedule is key to migraine prevention for these young patients.

Popova, a pediatric headache specialist at NYU Langone, sat down with NeurologyLive to discuss the management of pediatric migraine and the necessary adjustments children and parents need to make to treat it appropriately.