You don’t usually think about infants and children having high blood pressure since it's so often brought on by poor lifestyle habits. But blood pressure can be elevated for a number of reasons.
Other diseases and some medications can bring on high blood pressure. In these instances, it’s called secondary hypertension. When the other disease is successfully treated (or the medication stopped), the blood pressure generally returns to healthy levels.
Examples of conditions that raise blood pressure levels in infants and children include kidney problems, hyperthyroidism, sleep apnea, hypercalcemia, nerve tumors, and immobilization.
Occasionally, children experience hypertension for an unknown reason. This is called primary hypertension. Heredity or obesity might play a part in this type of childhood hypertension. High blood pressure is found more frequently in African Americans than in Caucasians.
Because hypertension often has no symptoms, it’s recommended that you have your child’s blood pressure checked annually. Healthy blood pressure ranges vary based on the child’s gender, age, and height. Check with your child’s healthcare provider to find out what is recommended for your child.
Sometimes, hypertension does display symptoms, which include:
- Failure to thrive
- Nausea/vomiting
- Lethargy
- Irritability
- Headache
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- Visual problems
- Heart failure
- Seizures
- Stroke
- Facial palsy
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If your child has any of these symptoms, contact your pediatrician immediately. Left untreated, hypertension can lead to serious health conditions or even death. However, infant and childhood hypertension is treatable through diet, exercise, and/or medication. |
