Pediatric hypertension: A guideline update

Trajectory of Systemic Blood Pressure in Early Life: A Cohort Study

Objective. To track the BP (blood pressure) trajectory of healthy infants during the first year of life of healthy infants born in Northeast Brazil. Methods. In this cohort study, BP was assessed by oscillometry at the first 24 hours of life and 12 months of age. Results. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) increased with age (P < .001) and were not influenced by gender (SBP: P = .178 and DBP: P = .623) or type of delivery (SBP: P = .827 and DBP: P = .106), when compared between the first 24 hours of life and 12 months of age. Conclusion. The data from the present study increased knowledge about the trajectory of BP during the first year of life. The increase in BP between the first month and the first year of life was not influenced by gender or type of delivery.

Hypertension in Quilombola children and adolescents

ABSTRACT

To determine the prevalence of prehypertension (PH) and hypertension (AH) in quilombola children and adolescents, as well as to analyze sociodemographic, behavioral, and health characteristics.Prevalence study conducted in random samples of quilombola children and adolescents from 06 to 19 years of age, in remaining quilombo communities in Cachoeira-Bahia. Identification, sociodemographic, behavioral, anthropometric, and blood pressure (BP) data were used. Descriptive analyses of the variables of interest were performed based on absolute (N) and included frequencies (percentage, prevalence). Pearson's Chi-square (χ2) and Fisher Exact tests determined possible differences.Of the 668 participants, 54.3% were children, 51.2% were male, and 29.4% presented alterations in BP. PH and AH were found in 12.7% and 14.3% of the children, respectively; for adolescents, these values were 12.5% and 15.4%, respectively. No statistically significant difference was found between the prevalence of AH in the 2 population groups, nor between the PH measurements. Most families reported a low socioeconomic status. Among children, 6.6% were underweight, 14.6% were overweight, 10.7% were obese, 12.7% presented a Waist-to-Height Ratio (WHtR) > 0.5; 70.1% were inactive and 88.4% had a sedentary lifestyle; 5.6% of the adolescents were underweight, 12.8% were overweight, 9.2% were obese, 11.5% presented a WHtR > 0.5; 78% were inactive and 92.1% had a sedentary lifestyle. Normotensive children and adolescents, and those with alterations in BP differed only in terms of the Body Mass Index (P = .007) and WHtR (P < .001). The consumption of unhealthy foods was high.The high prevalence of PH and AH, as well as of exposure to potential risk factors for AH in quilombola children and adolescents, reveals a worrisome situation, and demands further studies to identify risk factors for this disease and the need for interventions beyond the health sector, especially as regards disease prevention and control in the early stages of life, aiming to reduce its prevalence as adults.