Omega 3 in Childhood Migraines: a Double Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE The effect of using omega-3 to prevent migraine attacks has been raised in recent studies. The majority of these studies have been conducted in adults. Conversely, other studies have yet to confirm the effect of omega-3. The main purpose of this study was to assess the effects of omega-3 in the prevention of migraine attacks in children. MATERIALS & METHODS In this study, children aged 5-15 years with a diagnosis of migraine were randomly assigned to case and control groups. The case group was treated with sodium valproate and 1 g of omega-3; the control group was treated with sodium valproate and a placebo for 2 months. The severity of attacks was evaluated before and after the treatment using PedMIDAS and parental satisfaction (CGI) using a 7-point Likert scale. RESULTS In this study, 12 cases and 13 controls were enrolled. The average number of headache attacks per month decreased significantly in both groups after starting the treatment but there was no significant difference between the two groups. The severity of attacks decreased significantly in both groups after starting the treatment but it was not significant between them. Examination of the CGI average showed the average was 6.08 (SD = 0.52) in the case group and 6.07 (SD = 0.65) in the control group. CONCLUSION The present study indicated that omega-3 with a dose of 1 mg per day has no effect in reducing the severity and frequency of migraine attacks in children. Sodium valproate was effective in reducing the frequency and severity of attacks.