Information for school nurses

Young migraineurs > Information for school nurses

It is very distressing for children to endure any kind of suffering and, if you yourself do not suffer from migraine, it is very difficult to imagine the distress and pain which the child experiences. Children of any age can be affected by migraine; however two peaks have been noted when migraines begin - one at age five and the second at age 10 - 12. Migraine occurs equally in both sexes up to the age of 12 years, after which it becomes more common in girls (who often experience their first attack around puberty). As a school nurse there are some practical approaches you can take to help the child deal with his / her condition:

• Discuss any concerns that you may have with the parent / carer of a child you suspect of having migraine.
• Be understanding towards the child during an attack; who in addition to feeling ill, may also be feeling very embarrassed. A full-blown attack may be prevented if a child feels able to ask for help as soon as they begin to feel unwell.
• Be aware that many children will vomit in the early stages of an attack; this eases the attack especially if they are also able to rest quietly for approximately one hour.
• Work with the parent / carer and child to recognise any possible triggers if attacks frequently occur at school. Could anxiety due to work expectations or bullying be a factor? Would allowing the child to have a snack or drink during lessons help prevent an attack? Is the white board causing problems? Would opening a window help?
• Work with the child and parent / carer to discuss the most appropriate way to help if the child experiences an attack whilst in your care.
• A migraine attack in children may last for as little as an hour, but can be as long as three days. Generally they last for between two and four hours (shorter than the average adult attack).

A child can feel 'washed out' for a couple of days after an attack but the symptoms will resolve completely between attacks. The frequency of attacks varies, but the average is one per month. However some children may experience an attack each week, others may go for months before an attack reoccurs.

Information resources for school nurses

School nurses are in an ideal position to create awareness among school staff at all levels about the impact of migraine; Migraine Action has a short slide presentation to facilitate discussion among staff members. This in turn will help children to come forward if they know that their teachers will be more receptive to their condition. Please click on the links below to download further information for school nurses:

• School nurses booklet - further information about migraine in children and practical hints and tips of how to manage the child's migraine at school.
• Young migraineurs booklets: for 8 - 10 year olds; for 11 - 13 year olds; for 14 - 17 year olds.
• Migraine diary sheets - to record all elements of the child's migraine attack
• Plan of action sheet - main points the child needs to remember to help manage their migraine. These will often have been agreed beforehand with the parent / carer.
• Young migraineurs Migraine ACTION! card pack - if the child needs to urgently leave the classroom, this card explains why and can be discreetly shown to the teacher before the child leaves.
• Letter to parents / carers template - a letter which you can use as the basis for writing to parents / carers of a child you believe may have migraine and you don't know if the condition has yet been diagnosed.
• Staff development presentation - here is a useful presentation outline you may wish to use as part of a staff meeting / training session (CPD).
• Young migraineurs resources order form - order additional information booklets and resources.
• Join Migraine Action form - become a member and get all the latest updates about migraine in the media and useful approaches for effective migraine management.
• Fundraise for Migraine Action leaflet - get your school involved and raise awareness of migraine at the same time.

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