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

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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.