We all scream for ice cream, especially when it delivers that sudden pang in the forehead and temples.
Brain freeze, or a cold-induced headache, is the momentary discomfort that can catch hungry kids by surprise when they swallow something too cold too fast.
Rather than forgo the ice cream, you can enjoy a cold treat without the pain, according to Novant Health pediatrician Dr. Julia Richards of Novant Health Pediatrics Denver. She answers some of our top brain freeze questions here.
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What causes brain freeze, and is there ever a medical reason for parents to worry?
No reason to worry. It’s much more common in kids because they don’t commonly control how fast they eat yummy things like ice cream. And the faster you eat something cold, the more likely it is to happen. Brain freeze is not 100% understood, but it does have an official scientific name: sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia. It’s likely caused by the constriction and dilation of blood vessels that happen when something really cold touches your palate. It can give you that really intense flash of pain, but usually resolves itself by the time you even think about it.
So, is there ever a time that a parent should consult a pediatrician about brain freeze?
No, not if it’s related to eating something cold. If it’s a headache that’s persistent and doesn’t go away after a couple of seconds or minutes, that’s different. But cold-related headaches go away, and there’s no reason to see your care team. You can follow up a brain freeze by drinking something warm. That will trigger those blood vessels to dilate and calm everything down. Usually, if you do absolutely nothing, it will go away in a couple of minutes. But to speed up the process, you can put your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
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Looking for guidance with making healthy food choices for your family? We're here to help.
What are some healthy options for parents looking for alternatives to cold treats that are high in sugar?
I like fruit pops for my kids, and Pedialyte popsicles are a super-healthy dessert or cold snack. The goal is to eat a balanced diet, even if you’re not eating it in three set meals a day. Snacking is just fine, but the goal overall is to have a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables and protein.
Ice cream and other treats can be part of a healthy diet in moderation. At what age should we be concerned with our child’s weight?
Typically, above the age of 1. I tell parents that their child’s job is to pick how much they eat off their plate, and if they even eat at all. Our job as the parent is to offer them a balanced diet. If they choose not to eat what they’re given, then they’re truly not hungry. And that’s OK. You’re not sending your child to bed hungry; they chose not to eat.
That’s really where I feel parents struggle, because we create this concept that if they didn’t eat their meal they must be hungry, so we feed them a snack from the pantry or freezer. And that is absolutely not true. Young children are great at self-regulating; sometimes they’re truly not hungry.
