Another Reason for Pediatricians to Counsel Against Obesity; Childhood Body Mass Index Above the 85th Percentile is Associated with a Five-Fold Risk for Recurrence of Pediatric Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension

Pediatric idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is treated by a multi-disciplinary team; neurologists, neuroophthalmologists and pediatricians. Obesity is an important risk factor for IIH in adults and in post-pubertal/adolescent children. In prepubertal children, however, IIH is less closely associated with obesity. Parents of children with IIH often enquire about the prognosis and recurrence rate of their childs disease. Recurrence seems to occur in approximately 20% of children. Data examining whether childhood overweight increases the risk of IIH recurrence is lacking.