Factors associated with the blood pressures of children born to women who were hypertensive during pregnancy

Abstract

At age 7.5 years the supine blood pressures of 216 children born to women who had been hypertensive during pregnancy were recorded. No associations were found between the blood pressures of the children and their mothers. The blood pressures of children whose mothers received methyldopa during pregnancy did not differ from those of children whose mothers had no specific treatment. Four boys whose mothers had taken methyldopa for more than 150 days had significantly lower systolic and diastolic pressures than those in whom the treatment had been of shorter duration. Significant findings from multiple regression analyses were: positive associations between boys' systolic and diastolic pressures and current weight, and diastolic pressure and maternal weight; negative associations between boys' systolic and diastolic pressures and birthweight; and a positive association between girls' systolic pressure and current weight.