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© 2017 Børte et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background

There is little knowledge about how factors early in life affect the development of migraine and tension-type headache. We aimed to examine whether growth restriction in utero is associated with development of migraine and frequent tension-type headache in adults.

Methods

The population-based Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT 3) contained a validated headache questionnaire, which differentiated between migraine and tension-type headache. These data were linked to information on weight and gestational age at birth from the Norwegian Medical Birth Registry. In total 4557 females and 2789 males, aged 19–41 years, were included in this registry-based study. Participants were categorized as appropriate for gestational age (AGA, 10th-90th percentile), small for gestational age (SGA, 3rd-10th percentile) or very small for gestational age (VSGA, < 3rd percentile). Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for migraine and tension-type headache, with exposure being growth restriction at birth.

Results

The effect of growth restriction on migraine was modified by sex, with a significant association in males (p<0.001), but not in females (p = 0.20). In particular, males born VSGA were at increased risk of developing migraine (OR 2.73, 95% CI 1.63–4.58, p<0.001), with an intermediate risk among those born SGA (OR 1.50, 95% CI 0.96–2.35, p = 0.08) compared to those born AGA. There was no significant association between growth restriction and frequent TTH (p = 0.051).

Conclusion

Growth restriction was associated with increased risk of migraine in adulthood among males, but not among females. This suggests that migraine might, in part, be influenced by early life events, and that males seem to be particularly vulnerable.

Details

Title
The effect of foetal growth restriction on the development of migraine and tension-type headache in adulthood. The HUNT Study
Author
Børte, Sigrid; Winsvold, Bendik S; Synne Øien Stensland; Milada Cvancarova Småstuen; John-Anker Zwart
First page
e0175908
Section
Research Article
Publication year
2017
Publication date
Apr 2017
Publisher
Public Library of Science
e-ISSN
19326203
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
1888351394
Copyright
© 2017 Børte et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.