Prematurity, Neonatal Complications, and the Development of Childhood Hypertension

Do preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), with or without major complications of prematurity, have a heightened risk of persistent hypertension?This cohort study of 2459 infants found that preterm infants with an NICU stay, both with and without a neonatal complication, had the greatest risk for persistent hypertension in childhood. Preterm infants with prematurity-related complications had, on average, higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure percentiles through 18 years of age.This study suggests that preterm infants, especially those with neonatal complications, are at a higher risk of persistent hypertension in childhood.

Corresponding Author: Kartikeya Makker, MD, MPH, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 4940 Eastern Ave, AA-299B, Baltimore, MD (kmakker1@jhmi.edu).

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