Relationship between birth weight and blood pressure in adolescence

Background. Several studies have found a relationship between small size at birth and high blood pressure (HBP). However, this association has not been fully evaluated in adolescence. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relation of birth weight (BW) to BP in adolescence, controlling for factors related to BP, to extrauterine environment, and to maternal risk of fetal distress. Methods. In 1310 adolescents (ages 12-14 years), randomly selected from Turin school children, we evaluated BP, heart rate (HR), weight, height, familial risk of hypertension, parental cultural level, BW, and maternal history of diseases during pregnancy. The BW-BP association was tested by using multiple regression analysis and adjusting for the other variables mentioned above. The same analysis was done for the subgroup at high risk of fetal distress. Results: The association between BW and BP was negative but weak when we adjusted for all confounders (= -0.07 in males; = -0.27 in females). The association was negative and became stronger after the inclusion of all confounders, particularly HR (= -3.92), in the group of children at high risk of fetal distress. Conclusions. Intrauterine environment, as reflected by BW, has little effect on BP in early adolescence without concomitant maternal diseases or environmental conditions leading to severe placental hypoperfusion. (C) 1999 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.