open access
Birth weight and birth length, and blood pressure in children and adolescents
open access
Abstract
Background Birth weight may influence on blood pressure (BP) at later life. The study aimed to test whether birth weight and birth length program blood pressure at later life in children and adolescents in Poland.
Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was performed in a randomly selected sample of 6097 children and adolescents (2949 boys and 3148 girls), aged 7-18 (mean 12.6 ± 3.4), inhabitants of Silesia Region (n = 2386), Masovia Region (n = 1906) and Wielkopolska Region (n = = 1805). BP was taken using a mercury sphygmomanometer, following the current guidelines. Birth outcomes were obtained from routine obstetrical records.
Results Mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 110.2 ± 11.5 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 67.8 ± 7.8 mm Hg. Mean birth weight was 3338.2 ± 527.9 g, and birth length was 53.2 ± 5.5 cm. Both parameters were the highest in children in Masovia Region; 3370.4 ± 535.4 g and 54.5 ± 3.3 cm, respectively. BP and birth outcomes were statistically significantly higher in boys than in girls, except Wielkopolska Region. After adjustment for gender, age, current BMI, place of residence and time of gestation, no statistically significant impact of birth weight (in kg) on BP was found, with the coefficients of linear regression bSBP = -0.4 (p = 0.3) and bDBP = 0.2 (p = 0.5). However, statistically significant impact of birth length on BP was confirmed: bSBP = 0.05 (p = 0.04) and bDBP = 0.07 (p = 0.0006).
Conclusions The results revealed small but positive and statistically significant impact of birth length on BP at later life in children in Poland. However, no role of birth weight in BP alteration was found.
Abstract
Background Birth weight may influence on blood pressure (BP) at later life. The study aimed to test whether birth weight and birth length program blood pressure at later life in children and adolescents in Poland.
Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was performed in a randomly selected sample of 6097 children and adolescents (2949 boys and 3148 girls), aged 7-18 (mean 12.6 ± 3.4), inhabitants of Silesia Region (n = 2386), Masovia Region (n = 1906) and Wielkopolska Region (n = = 1805). BP was taken using a mercury sphygmomanometer, following the current guidelines. Birth outcomes were obtained from routine obstetrical records.
Results Mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 110.2 ± 11.5 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 67.8 ± 7.8 mm Hg. Mean birth weight was 3338.2 ± 527.9 g, and birth length was 53.2 ± 5.5 cm. Both parameters were the highest in children in Masovia Region; 3370.4 ± 535.4 g and 54.5 ± 3.3 cm, respectively. BP and birth outcomes were statistically significantly higher in boys than in girls, except Wielkopolska Region. After adjustment for gender, age, current BMI, place of residence and time of gestation, no statistically significant impact of birth weight (in kg) on BP was found, with the coefficients of linear regression bSBP = -0.4 (p = 0.3) and bDBP = 0.2 (p = 0.5). However, statistically significant impact of birth length on BP was confirmed: bSBP = 0.05 (p = 0.04) and bDBP = 0.07 (p = 0.0006).
Conclusions The results revealed small but positive and statistically significant impact of birth length on BP at later life in children in Poland. However, no role of birth weight in BP alteration was found.
Keywords
birth outcomes; birth weight; birth length; blood pressure; epidemiological cross-sectional study
About this articleTitle
Birth weight and birth length, and blood pressure in children and adolescents
Journal
Issue
Article type
Original paper
Pages
343-351
Published online
2008-10-12
Page views
818
Article views/downloads
1549
Bibliographic record
Nadciśnienie tętnicze 2008;12(5):343-351.
Keywords
birth outcomes
birth weight
birth length
blood pressure
epidemiological cross-sectional study
Authors
Łukasz Jerzy Krzych
Małgorzata Kowalska
Jan Eugeniusz Zejda
Alicja Krzyżaniak
Barbara Stawińska-Witoszyńska
Agnieszka Zawiasa
Paulina Siwik