Common birth defect linked to migraine
There is a link between certain types of migraines in children and a common congenital heart defect.
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There is a link between certain types of migraines in children and a common congenital heart defect.
Migraine with aura includes a number of symptoms, such as blind spots, weakness and hallucinations.
Researchers looked at 109 American children aged 6 to 18 years who were diagnosed with migraines and treated between 2008 and 2009. They checked each child's heart for a patent foramen ovale (PFO) a defect in the wall between the heart's two upper chambers that can allow unfiltered blood to bypass the lungs and circulate through the body. Previous research has suggested an association between migraines and PFO.
It was found that 50 percent of children who had migraines with aura had a PFO, nearly double the rate of PFO in the general population. Only one-quarter of children who had migraines without aura had a PFO.
If further research confirms a link, the use of a catheter device to close a PFO may help treat migraines with aura, the researchers concluded.
Migraine with aura includes a number of symptoms, such as blind spots, weakness and hallucinations.
Researchers looked at 109 American children aged 6 to 18 years who were diagnosed with migraines and treated between 2008 and 2009. They checked each child's heart for a patent foramen ovale (PFO) a defect in the wall between the heart's two upper chambers that can allow unfiltered blood to bypass the lungs and circulate through the body. Previous research has suggested an association between migraines and PFO.
It was found that 50 percent of children who had migraines with aura had a PFO, nearly double the rate of PFO in the general population. Only one-quarter of children who had migraines without aura had a PFO.
If further research confirms a link, the use of a catheter device to close a PFO may help treat migraines with aura, the researchers concluded.
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