A few moments with your little baby could prove to be a stress buster for you. However, these little bundles of joy could suffer from hypertension too. Alarming but unfortunately true! High blood pressure in babies could be a cause of concern for the parents, but shying away from the problem will definitely not help.
This is pressure your blood exerts against the walls of the arteries each time your heart pumps blood as the blood travels to all parts of the body. Blood pressure is generated by the pumping action of the heart. nuous activity could increase the blood pressure.
Blood pressure is measured with an arm cuff that is inflatable and a gauge that measures the pressure. It is important to know how to read blood pressure in order to monitor it. The first, higher or upper number measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats and is called the systolic pressure. The lower reading measures the pressure in the arteries between beats and is called the diastolic pressure.
Normal blood pressure measured for a child is based on three factors – age, gender and weight. A blood pressure of 64/41 in a newborn is considered as normal. For a child from 1 month up to 2 years old, it is 95/58. It is normal for these numbers to vary. Your doctor will determine if your child is suffering from hypertension if the reading is high after checking it three times and regular monitoring will be recommended by your doctor.
Under normal condition, the heart pumps blood all over the body through the blood vessels which widen and contract to maintain and regulate the flow of blood. When the blood pushes too hard against the blood vessels causing damage to the vessels, heart and other organs it is termed as high blood pressure. “Hypertension” means high blood pressure greater than 95 percent according to age, weight and height.
Inherited/Genetic form or primary hypertension is the most common reason for high blood pressure. It is common in overweight and obese children and adolescents. The cause of primary hypertension is unknown. Kidney abnormality, narrowing of arteries to kidneys, congenital heart condition, rare tumours of the adrenal gland are some other causes of high blood pressure. These forms are called as secondary hypertension as underlying causes can be identified.
Symptoms may not always be displayed however could be conspicuous in the following ways
If your child is diagnosed with hypertension after three readings, your doctor may perform these tests to see if the underlying condition causing the increase in blood pressure
Ambulatory monitoring of blood pressure will be recommended by the doctor if your child’s blood pressure is high for over a year or Stage 1 hypertension over three clinical visits. In this case, the child will wear a device that measures their blood pressure throughout the day. This will help check if the pressure is high owing to temporary factors like being in the presence of a doctor.
A systolic or diastolic blood pressure level over the 95th percentile or greater based on three separate readings on an average is defined as hypertension. Once diagnosed it is classified as follows to assist evaluation and treatment
*Please note these classifications are based on sex, age, height and weight measured on three separate occasion
+ If 120/80mm Hg is in the 95th percentile or greater then it is classified as hypertension.
Work closely with your child to chalk out a treatment plan for treating hypertension. Some guidelines
a. Diuretics to reduce the amount of fluid in blood by getting rid of excess sodium
b. Alpha blockers, calcium channel blockers to keep the blood vessels from tightening
c. Beta-blockers to prevent the body from making the stress hormone- adrenaline
Primary hypertension could be caused by genetic factors. But one can certainly try and prevent high blood pressure in kids. Reduce the time kids spend on watching TV and other electronic devices, monitor their diet and reduce processed and fried foods. Aim to control weight by regular exercise. Routine visits to the doctor will help monitor their blood pressure via the paediatric hypertension chart to single out any irregularities.
By working closely with your child and health practitioner and developing a comprehensive health plan you can definitely monitor and regulate your child’s blood pressure level and lead a healthy life.