Elevated blood pressures in infants and children.

Overview

Blood pressure should be routinely measured in all infants and children. Measurements should be performed with an appropriate size cuff and observed pressures compared to normal values for age. Elevated blood pressure is seen in one to ten percent of children, depending on the age group surveyed and the definition of hypertension selected. Thirty to fifty percent of children with elevated blood pressures are asymptomatic. The remainder have symptoms which are nonspecific, including headaches, visual disturbances, seizures, congestive heart failure, and facial palsy. Hypertension in children, unlike hypertension in the adult, usually has a definite cause which often responds to adequate medical and/or surgical treatment. For this reason, children with well-confirmed hypertension should be thoroughly evaluated. The most common causes of hypertension found in children are renal disease (pyelonephritis, vascular disease, structural malformations) and coarctation of the aorta. An approach to the child with transient or persistent hypertension is described. Diagnostic studies should be individualized and should follow clinical clues where possible. Medical management of the child with acute hypertension is discussed.