Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and renal functions in term small-for-gestational age children

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between birth weight and blood pressure (BP) by means of ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) and renal functions in non-obese children who were born small-for-gestational age (SGA) at term. The study group consisted of 39 (19 female, 20 male; mean age 8.8 +/- 2.6 years) children born SGA. Their data were compared to those of 27 (13 female, 14 male; mean age 8.2 +/- 2.9 years) children born appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA). No difference between SGA and AGA children was observed based on office BP measurements and daytime, nighttime and 24-h ABPM. Seventeen SGA (48.6%) and nine AGA (37.5%) children had a 24-h systolic BP (SBP) load over 25%, and seven of these (5 SGA, 2 AGA) were hypertensive according to mean SBP values. The prevalence of the non-dipping phenomenon in SGA and AGA children was similar. Renal functions were normal and similar in both groups. Three children (2 SGA, 1 AGA) with normal glomerular filtration rate had higher microalbumin excretion and one SGA child had systolic hypertension according to the office BP. Our findings demonstrate that the influence of intrauterine growth restriction on BP is not manifested during the childhood period, and they do not support the existence of a negative relationship between birth weight and BP in children.