Pediatric migraine care: bridging gaps, overcoming barriers, and advancing solutions

Eur J Pediatr. 2025 May 24;184(6):362. doi: 10.1007/s00431-025-06199-1.

ABSTRACT

Pediatric migraine is an increasingly recognized public health concern, with a rising prevalence among children and adolescents. Despite advances in our understanding of migraine mechanisms and treatment, major gaps and barriers persist in diagnosis, management, and awareness. This review highlights the current gaps in pediatric migraine care, including underdiagnosis, comorbidities, disparities in access to treatment, and proposes actionable strategies to improve outcomes. A structured narrative review focused on pediatric migraine prevalence, diagnosis, treatment, and comorbidities. Emphasis was placed on interdisciplinary collaboration, emerging mechanism-based therapies, and holistic approaches to managing pediatric migraine. Pediatric migraine are frequently underdiagnosed and undertreated, partly due to a lack of physician awareness, inadequate training, and outdated guidelines. Emerging mechanism-based therapies, such as CGRP-targeted treatments, hold promise but are not yet widely adopted in pediatric care and are unlikely to be accessible to all but a few patients. Holistic approaches, including lifestyle modifications and behavioral therapy, can complement traditional treatments but remain underutilized.

CONCLUSION: Addressing the current gaps and barriers in pediatric migraine care requires updated clinical guidelines, increased healthcare provider training, increased awareness of comorbidities, affordability of approved medications, and encouragement of holistic treatment options. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and expanding access to care, better outcomes can be achieved for children suffering from migraine.

WHAT IS KNOWN: • Pediatric migraine is a prevalent but often underdiagnosed condition, with significant impact on quality of life. • Traditional treatment approaches are frequently inadequate, and physician awareness and training remain suboptimal.

WHAT IS NEW: • This review identifies critical gaps in pediatric migraine care, including limited access to emerging therapies and insufficient integration of holistic approaches. • It proposes actionable strategies such as interdisciplinary collaboration, updated guidelines, and enhanced provider education to improve care outcomes.

PMID:40411625 | DOI:10.1007/s00431-025-06199-1