Pediatric migraine sufferers lack specific medications, Sisc warns

pediatric migraine off-label medication childhood headache Sisc pediatric neurology

The Italian Society for the Study of Headaches (Sisc) has highlighted a critical lack of specific medical treatments for pediatric migraine sufferers. While international studies suggest 1 in 10 children suffer from migraines, and Italian studies report 1 in 20, existing effective therapies—such as gepants, monoclonal antibodies, and botulinum toxin—are primarily tested and approved for adults.

Professor Marina De Tommaso, President of Sisc and Professor of Neurology at the University of Bari, noted that specialists are often forced to prescribe these medications ‘off label’ due to the absence of specific clinical trials for children. This lack of clear dosage guidelines and pediatric-specific testing leads to underutilized therapies, resulting in increased school absences, poor academic performance, and unnecessary suffering for young patients. The issue often becomes more pronounced during the return to school, as changes in daily routines and increased anxiety can trigger attacks in predisposed children.

Entities

Anna Maria Giannini · Irccs materno-infantile Burlo Garofolo · Isabella Marsilio · Istituto Giovanni Verga · La Sapienza University of Rome · Marina De Tommaso · Società Italiana per lo Studio delle Cefalee · Telegram · University of Bari

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] Authorities in Lamezia Terme discovered a 14-year-old planning an assault on a teacher.
[● 3 SOURCES] Criminologist Anna Maria Giannini warns of a high risk of emulation following recent school violence.
[● 3 SOURCES] Online platforms are being used to proselytize and encourage students to seek revenge.
[● 3 SOURCES] The planned attack in Lamezia Terme was reported by classmates who noticed strange behavior.
[● 3 SOURCES] The Roman student filmed the attack live on Telegram using a mobile phone attached to a helmet.
[● 3 SOURCES] A 13-year-old student attacked a 66-year-old teacher with stinging spray and a knife in Rome on September 18.