Link established between weight gain and high blood pressure in children

According to a recent study, there exists a link between a child's weight in the first six months of life and the likelihood of developing elevated blood pressure in later life.

With one in 10 children currently suffering from hypertension, researchers began investigating the causes of the condition and the factors which may cause it to last into adulthood.

Following on from previous research which indicated babies born at an obese birth weight are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure in later life, researchers established that rapid weight gain during the first six months of life as well as during a child's pre-school years can result in elevated blood pressure.

Using the data of almost 1,000 children, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston analysed the birth weight, BMI, length and height of participants at four separate intervals in the child's life between birth and three years of age.

Scientists established a connection between these findings and blood pressure in children aged between six and ten years of age, with experts asserting that BMI gains between birth and six months, and gains between two and three years are associated with high blood pressure at school age.

The study has been published in February's issue of Hypertension.