title: Aortic vessel wall characteristics and blood pressure in children with intrauterine growth retardation and abnormal foetal aortic blood flow.
abstract: Blood pressure and pulsatile diameter changes of the abdominal aorta were measured in 68 children (mean age 9 years), with varying degrees of intrauterine growth retardation who were previously examined in their intrauterine life with Doppler velocimetry of the thoracic descending aorta. Diastolic blood pressure was lower (p < 0.05) and pulse pressure was increased (p < 0.01) in children with a birthweight small for gestational age as compared to those with a birthweight appropriate for gestational age. Systolic blood pressure was positively associated with relative increase in weight from birth up to the time of examination (p < 0.01), but not to early catch-up growth. Aortic vessel wall diameters were smaller in children born small for gestational age, both before and after correction for current body surface area (p < 0.01). Blood pressure and aortic vessel wall characteristics exhibited no relationship to the foetal aortic Doppler wave-form. Changes in foetal haemodynamics associated with intrauterine growth retardation do not appear to contribute to a later increase in blood pressure. Within a group of foetuses with suspected growth retardation, increasing foetal weight deviation and a birthweight small for gestational age is associated with lower diastolic blood pressure at 9 years of age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Lund University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ley
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stale
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Marsal
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012923:Social Class