title: Infant locomotive development and its association with adult blood pressure.
abstract: Evidence from animal models suggests that locomotion and blood pressure share common neurophysiological regulatory systems. As a result of this common regulation, we hypothesized that the development of locomotion in human infants would be associated with blood pressure levels in adulthood. The study sample comprised 4,347 individuals with measures of locomotive and non-locomotive neuromotor development in infancy and adult blood pressure levels within a longitudinal birth cohort study, the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. Later development in all three stages of locomotive development during infancy was associated with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels at age 31. For age of walking without support, 0.34 (95 % CI 0.07 to 0.60)-mm Hg higher SBP and 0.38 (95 % CI 0.15 to 0.62)-mm Hg higher DBP were estimated for each month of later achievement (P = 0.012 for SBP; P = 0.001 for DBP). No association was identified for non-locomotive neuromotor development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results highlight the positive sequelae of advanced locomotive development during infancy, suggesting that the common regulatory systems between locomotion and blood pressure may influence the development of raised blood pressure over time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK, d.pillas06@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Demetris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pillas
authors.forename: Marika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaakinen
authors.forename: Ioanna
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tzoulaki
authors.forename: Gopalakrishnan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Netuveli
authors.forename: Alina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Tuija H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Tammelin
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blane
authors.forename: Iona Y
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Millwood
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sovio
authors.forename: Anneli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pouta
authors.forename: Laila Arnesdatter
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Hopstock
authors.forename: Anna-Liisa
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hartikainen
authors.forename: Jaana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laitinen
authors.forename: Sarianna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vaara
authors.forename: Anokhi Ali
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chong
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: Marjo-Riitta
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Jarvelin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016014:Linear Models; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology