{"id":36369,"date":"2021-08-05T09:30:02","date_gmt":"2021-08-05T13:30:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=36369"},"modified":"2026-03-25T16:31:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T20:31:36","slug":"abdominal-migraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/abdominal-migraine\/","title":{"rendered":"What is abdominal migraine in children?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even if you\u2019ve never personally experienced a migraine before, you probably know the primary symptom is severe, debilitating head pain. While migraine can cause gastrointestinal (GI) issues such as nausea and vomiting, it is a neurological condition. It has nothing to do with your stomach, right?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes <\/span>and <\/span><\/i>no. One of the many migraine variants is called <\/span>abdominal migraine<\/span><\/a>, where the person feels pain\u2014along with other symptoms\u2014in the abdominal region rather than the head. It\u2019s more common in children, but can continue into adulthood\u2014affecting young adults in particular with recurring pain, nausea, vomiting, and other migraine symptoms like fatigue and sensitivity to light or sound.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though abdominal migraine symptoms appear primarily in your stomach, they don\u2019t originate from there. Meaning, it\u2019s still a brain-based condition. \u201cWe treat it like a migraine,\u201d says <\/span>Deborah I. Friedman, MD<\/span><\/a>, a professor of neurology and ophthalmology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, \u201cbecause the problem isn\u2019t coming from your gut, it\u2019s coming from your brain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Understandably, this condition can be tough to diagnose (especially in kids). Here\u2019s a closer look at what abdominal migraine feels like, why it occurs, and how to treat it.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is abdominal migraine?<\/span>\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Healthcare providers are still trying to figure out exactly how or why the<\/span> brain communicates with the gut during an episode of abdominal migraine<\/span><\/a>. It seems like the same neurological trajectory as a traditional migraine is triggered, except for the fact that pain receptors in the abdomen\u2014not the head\u2014begin firing.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, other than this one difference, an abdominal migraine attack is extremely similar to a<\/span>\u00a0common migraine attack<\/span><\/a>; there is a surprising amount of overlap between symptoms, triggers, and treatment. The most common symptoms of abdominal migraine are abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. The abdominal pain is usually in the central abdomen and often described as soreness or achiness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Abdominal migraine in adults vs. children<\/span><\/h3>\n

Abdominal migraine is far more common in children than adults, though experts still don\u2019t know why. It may be that the<\/span> underdeveloped nervous and gastrointestinal systems<\/span><\/a> of young children leave them vulnerable to the biological processes that trigger an episode.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s fairly common and pretty underdiagnosed,\u201d says<\/span> Lindsay Elton<\/span><\/a>, MD, the medical director for child neurology at St. David\u2019s North Austin Medical Center\/St. David\u2019s Children\u2019s Hospital. \u201cFamilies will come in and say they thought their kid was getting a lot of stomach bugs, but it was happening too regularly for that to make sense.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the context of migraine conditions in children, Dr. Friedman estimates it occurs in about 2% to 4% of kids\u2014which she says aligns with the overall prevalence of migraine in children.<\/span><\/p>\n

Abdominal migraine often starts when kids are between 3 and 10 years old and is most common in children aged 7, per a<\/span>\u00a02018 abstract<\/span><\/a> published in <\/span>Pediatric Health, Medicine and Therapeutics<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

But here\u2019s where things get tricky: Although some kids outgrow abdominal migraine completely, Dr. Friedman estimates that about 70% go on to have traditional migraine episodes as they age and, less commonly, some will continue having abdominal migraine symptoms into adulthood.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe older patients I\u2019ve seen with it have all been young adults [who had abdominal migraine as a child],\u201d she explains. \u201cIt may be brought up as a possible diagnosis in adults with episodes of abdominal pain, but I can\u2019t think of any case where [abdominal migraine in an adult without prior history of it] was confirmed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, many kids with abdominal migraine either outgrow the condition or experience a transition into traditional migraine episodes, but some continue having abdominal migraine even as they grow up. There\u2019s no evidence that adults develop abdominal migraine out of the blue without having it in childhood.<\/span><\/p>\n

Causes and risk factors<\/span><\/h2>\n

Unfortunately, experts don\u2019t know the exact cause of abdominal migraine, but physicians have identified a few commonalities that may explain why some kids have it and others don\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n

In general, the triggers for abdominal migraine are the same as they are for traditional migraine: stress, anxiety, travel (or change in routine), lack of sleep or proper nutrition and hydration, and illness can all trigger an attack. Of course, age is usually a factor with this condition since it most often strikes in childhood; if your child fits the profile and is between 3 and 10, it\u2019s more likely to be a possible cause of their symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Oddly enough for a condition that causes stomach pain, food isn\u2019t typically considered a trigger. Dr. Friedman says dietary changes often don\u2019t help much with preventing episodes, and Dr. Elton agrees, saying that parents of young kids may want to take a conservative approach to searching for possible food triggers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are exhaustive food lists online [of potential triggers], but if you eliminated all those foods, there would be nothing left for your child to eat,\u201d she warns, recommending that if you think something your child eats on a regular basis could be triggering attacks, try eliminating things slowly and one at a time rather than making sweeping changes.<\/span><\/p>\n

As far as risk factors, there\u2019s mainly only one: genetics. \u201cThere is a significant hereditary component in migraine,\u201d says Dr. Elton. \u201cWe often find a positive family history of migraine in other family members, [particularly] in a child\u2019s siblings.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Symptoms of abdominal migraine<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Clearly, abdominal pain is a common symptom of this type of migraine; the pain may be moderate to severe and might feel like an aching or dull throbbing in the center of the abdomen near the belly button. But abdominal pain isn\u2019t the only symptom. Others include:<\/span><\/p>\n