Associations of parental, birth, and early life characteristics with systolic blood pressure at 5 years of age: findings from the Mater-University study of pregnancy and its outcomes.
BACKGROUND
We examined the associations of a range of parental and early life characteristics with systolic blood pressure at 5 years of age.


RESULTS
Information from 3864 children who were followed up prospectively from their mother's first antenatal clinic assessment was used. Maternal age, body mass index, and smoking during pregnancy were all positively associated with offspring systolic blood pressure at 5 years of age. The systolic blood pressure of children whose mothers had smoked throughout pregnancy was on average 0.92 mm Hg (95% CI 0.17 to 1.68) greater than that of children whose mothers had never smoked, after full adjustment. Children who had been breast fed until at least 6 months had lower systolic blood pressure than those who were breast fed for a shorter duration. Paternal body mass index and child's weight, height, and body mass index were all positively associated with blood pressure at age 5.


CONCLUSIONS
Because childhood blood pressure tracks into adulthood, interventions aimed at early life risk factors, such as quitting smoking during pregnancy, breast feeding, and prevention of obesity in all family members, may be important for reducing the population distribution of blood pressure and thus cardiovascular disease risk.
Lawlor
Debbie A
DA
Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, Whiteladies Rd, Bristol, BS8 2PR, UK. d.a.lawlor@bristol.ac.uk
Najman
Jake M
JM
Sterne
Jonathan
J
Williams
Gail M
GM
Ebrahim
Shah
S
Davey Smith
George
G
D000328:Adult; D001722:Birth Order; D001724:Birth Weight; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D013599:Systole