Clinical profile and short-term course of post-traumatic headache in children with mild traumatic brain injury: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE

To study the clinical profile and factors associated with post-traumatic headache (PTH) in children with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) attending an urban public hospital.

METHODS

We enrolled 130 consecutive children aged 6-12 years with mTBI (as per the International Classification of Headache Disorders-III criteria), and followed them up for 7 days. Those who developed PTH were further followed up monthly for 3 months.

RESULTS

Thirty (23.1%) children developed PTH; 25 (19.2%) children had acute PTH (duration 7 days to 3 months) and the remaining 5 (3.8%) developed persistent PTH (> 3 months). Majority (50%) had bilateral headache and squeezing quality (50%). Forty percent of those with PTH met the criteria for migraine. Obesity (P = 0.84), female gender (P = 0.26), family history of headache (P = 0.93), and prior history of concussion (P = 0.70) were not associated with risk of PTH. Children who developed PTH had higher rate of nausea (RR (95% CI) = 2.42 (1.06, 5.5); P = 0.03) and vomiting (RR (95% CI) = 3.76 (1.64, 8.5); P = 0.001) after mTBI. Headache resolved within 1 month in 63.3% of children.

CONCLUSION

PTH was found to be common after mTBI in children. Protocolized follow-up and directed history taking for PTH in all children with mTBI, who are frequently discharge from the emergency department after first aid, will lead to appropriate diagnosis and management of this problem.