A headache in a very small child can signal a variety of things. One of the first to check for is whether the child has eaten well. Headaches are a common problem with poor eaters. Lack of food almost always leads to a headache, whether it is in a child or an adult. This is because it will almost always cause the blood sugar to run short. And headaches are a common sign of this problem. One of the most effective ways to taking care of a headache caused by hunger is to immediately give the child something sugary to eat. This will stem the problem on a temporary basis, but by no means is it a permanent solution. Children have extremely sporadic eating habits and tend to graze all the time, rather than sit down and eat properly like adults. They may not want to eat at meal times and may demand food at odd hours. It becomes the responsibility of the adult to make sure that they are well fed. It is also good to be aware that children sometimes require as much as about 1,500 calories a day in order to be healthy and active. This is not something most people tend to actively think about, but it is an important figure to consider. In the very least, healthy and active young children should be consuming 1,000 calories on any given day, failing which; headaches may make the occasional appearance.
One of the other common reasons for children having headaches is a plea for attention. This is a purely psychological reason, but that does not mean it is any less significant. Mentally and emotionally disturbed children may also suffer from actual headaches, and these would require both medical as well as psychological attention. It is totally inadvisable to ignore these, as they can develop further into more serious problems in adulthood. Apart from these possibilities, headaches can also be a harbinger of something more serious. For persistent headaches in children as well as adults that last for over a month, instant medical help is a must. A complete scan of the head may also be required to rule out any physical problems related to the brain. Sometimes, things like tumors and obstructions can also cause headaches that refuse to go away. These would need to be checked and taken care of in a timely manner, otherwise they may become potentially fatal over time.