High blood pressure is often considered a condition exclusive to older adults. However, children, even infants, can also suffer from high blood pressure.
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Take your child for regular health check-ups so that doctors can monitor their blood pressure in a timely manner |
This can cause concern for parents, as high blood pressure can not only affect the patient’s health and lifestyle but also pose a life-threatening risk if left untreated.
The issue lies in the common misconception that high blood pressure manifests only in adulthood. Many adults with high blood pressure do not recognize that the origins of their condition may be linked to their childhood. They also do not consider the dangerous impacts that high blood pressure can have on their children.
From the age of three, regular health check-ups typically include blood pressure measurements. However, determining a simple case of high blood pressure, at least through separate measurements, is rarely performed, especially in children.
What is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure is defined as elevated blood pressure levels beyond the normal threshold, which can cause damage to the heart, brain, kidneys, and eyes.
Blood pressure fluctuates and is influenced not only by activity and rest but also by factors such as temperature, diet, emotional state, posture, and medications. In essence, blood pressure is the force that blood exerts against the vessel walls as the heart pumps. The pressure is higher when the heart contracts and lower when it relaxes; however, there is always a certain level of pressure in the arteries. This pressure is generated by two forces—one from the heart as it pumps blood into the arteries throughout the circulatory system, and the other from the arteries as they resist this blood flow.
Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) using a medical instrument called a sphygmomanometer. A cuff is wrapped around the arm and inflated to create pressure. When the cuff is inflated, it compresses a large artery in the arm, temporarily stopping the flow of blood. Blood pressure is measured as air is gradually released, allowing blood to flow through the artery once the pressure in the artery exceeds the pressure in the cuff.
A stethoscope placed over the artery helps the doctor hear the first pulse of blood flow—this is the systolic blood pressure (the pressure at the peak of each heartbeat). The diastolic blood pressure (the pressure when the heart is resting between beats) is recorded when the sound disappears. When reading a blood pressure value, the larger number represents the systolic pressure, and the smaller number represents the diastolic pressure. For example, 120/80 (120 over 80) means the systolic pressure is 120 and the diastolic pressure is 80.
Blood pressure lower than 120/80 is considered normal for teenagers and adults. A high blood pressure reading is defined as a systolic pressure ranging from 120 to 139 or a diastolic pressure from 80 to 89, which should be monitored closely. A blood pressure reading of 140/90 or higher is considered high and should be evaluated further and potentially treated.
As children grow, their blood pressure continues to rise from an average systolic level of around 90 in infancy to adult levels during adolescence. In children, high blood pressure is defined as blood pressure greater than the 95th percentile for their age, height, and gender (in other words, 95% of children of the same age, height, and gender will have blood pressure below this value).
Values between the 90th and 95th percentiles are considered “elevated” or “borderline.” Children with blood pressure greater than the 90th percentile are three times more likely to develop high blood pressure as adults compared to those with average blood pressure. The doctor will take the average of at least three different measurements before determining whether the child has high blood pressure or is at risk of developing it.
It is important to remember that blood pressure varies from person to person. For example, what is considered normal blood pressure for a woman may be high for a girl.
What Causes High Blood Pressure?
The causes of high blood pressure are varied and depend on the child’s age. The younger the child, the more likely the high blood pressure is due to a specific medical condition. In most cases in childhood, the cause is renal pathology; although other issues such as vascular malformations or hormonal disorders can also lead to high blood pressure. Certain medications (such as steroids or contraceptives) can also contribute to high blood pressure.
Even infants can experience high blood pressure. The most common cause of high blood pressure in infants is complications from premature birth, such as thrombosis in the renal artery or bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Another common cause in infants is congenital kidney abnormalities and coarctation of the aorta—a relatively common congenital defect that results in narrowing of a portion of the aorta, the main artery that carries blood away from the heart.
As children grow older, they are more likely to develop essential hypertension, which is high blood pressure without an identifiable cause. Essential hypertension is primarily detected in adolescents and adults. Most adolescents with high blood pressure share the same risk factors as adults: family history, diet, stress, obesity, and lack of regular exercise. Excessive alcohol and substance use can also lead to high blood pressure.
T.VY
