Relation of maternal blood pressure during pregnancy to birth weight and blood pressure in children. The Hypertension in Pregnancy Offspring Study.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the importance of perinatal factors, e.g. low birth weight, reduced gestational period and elevated maternal blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as high maternal blood pressure at follow-up 7-12 years after pregnancy, on blood pressure in children born after normotensive and hypertensive pregnancies. DESIGN: Follow-up study in children from hypertensive pregnancies and a control group of children born after normotensive pregnancies. SETTING: University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden. SUBJECTS: Thirty-six children born after hypertensive pregnancies and a control group of 17 children born after normotensive pregnancies were studied at a mean age of 12.5 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Blood pressure. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure was higher in children born after hypertensive pregnancies. They also had lower birth weight and a shorter gestational period. There was a negative correlation between the highest recorded maternal blood pressure during pregnancy and birth weight of the child and a positive correlation between maternal blood pressure and blood pressure in their offspring. No correlation was found between birth weight and blood pressure in these children. CONCLUSIONS: Children born after hypertensive pregnancies have higher blood pressure compared to children born after normotensive pregnancies. There is a positive relationship between childhood blood pressure and maternal blood pressure during pregnancy.