Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Hospitalized Children with Migraine at Motahari Hospital, Urmia: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Abbasi, Ezatollah; Abdi, Alireza; Khezri, Shakiba

doi:10.48307/FMSJ.2026.30.3.370

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Volume 30, Issue 3 (Bimonthly 2026)

Feyz Med Sci J 2026, 30(3): 370-380

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Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Hospitalized Children with Migraine at Motahari Hospital, Urmia: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Ezatollah Abbasi

, Alireza Abdi ^*

, Shakiba Khezri

Department of Pediatric Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran , alireza.abdi129@gmail.com

Abstract: (527 Views)

Background and Aim: Migraine is one of the most common neurological disorders in children and adolescents and can lead to hospitalization in severe cases. However, data on the demographic and clinical characteristics of hospitalized children with migraine in Iran are limited. This study aimed to investigate the demographic and clinical characteristics of children with migraine hospitalized at a tertiary care center.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical, cross-sectional, retrospective study was conducted on children under 18 years with confirmed migraine based on ICHD-3 criteria, who were admitted to Shahid Motahari Hospital, Urmia, Iran, from 2016 to 2021. Demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, acute inpatient treatments, and discharge management were extracted using a structured checklist and analyzed using SPSS version 27, with descriptive statistics and Fisher’s exact test (P<0.05).
Results: A total of 110 patients were included (mean age 13.9 ± 3.04 years; 54.5% boys). Headache was reported in all patients and was predominantly pulsating (57.3%) and unilateral (37.3%). Gastrointestinal symptoms included nausea/vomiting (70.9%) and abdominal pain (23.6%), along with photophobia (43.6%) and sleep disturbances (42.7%). Abdominal pain was significantly more frequent in children ≤12 years old (P<0.001). Acute treatments included intravenous acetaminophen (96.4%) and ondansetron (92.3%). At discharge, oral ibuprofen (87.3%) and lifestyle modification recommendations (100%) were prescribed, and more than half of the patients received preventive pharmacological treatment.
Conclusion: In this study, pediatric migraine was characterized by adolescent predominance, a high frequency of gastrointestinal and sensory symptoms, and guideline-aligned management. Age-related phenotypic variations emphasize the need for individualized treatment approaches. Larger prospective studies are recommended to improve diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in resource-limited settings.

Keywords: Pediatric migraine, Iran, Headache, Abdominal migraine, Aura

Full-Text [PDF 952 kb] (24 Downloads)

Type of Study: Research | Subject: medicine, paraclinic
Received: 2026/04/20 | Revised: 2026/08/26 | Accepted: 2026/07/1 | Published: 2026/07/1

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‎ 10.48307/FMSJ.2026.30.3.370

Ethics code: IR.UMSU.REC.1402.028

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Abbasi E, Abdi A, Khezri S. Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Hospitalized Children with Migraine at Motahari Hospital, Urmia: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study. Feyz Med Sci J 2026; 30 (3) :370-380
URL: http://feyz.kaums.ac.ir/article-1-5525-en.html

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