This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Falkner, B. Articles by Kushner, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Falkner, B. Articles by Kushner, H.

(Hypertension. 1998;31:145.)
© 1998 American Heart Association, Inc.

Scientific Contributions

Birth Weight Versus Childhood Growth as Determinants of Adult Blood Pressure

Bonita Falkner; Sonia Hulman; Harvey Kushner

From Allegheny University of the Health Sciences, Philadelphia, Pa (B.F.); Albert Einstein Medical Center, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pa (S.H.); and Biomedical Computer Research Institute, Philadelphia, Pa (H.K.).

Correspondence to Bonita Falkner, MD, Institute for Women’s Health, Allegheny University Hospitals, 3300 Henry Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19129.

Abstract—In older white American adults, recent retrospective studies have demonstrated a relationship between lower birth weight and hypertension. Black Americans have a higher occurrence of both lower birth weight and hypertension than do white Americans. To test the low birth weight–high blood pressure hypothesis, data from a prospective study (Perinatal Collaborative Project) were examined. The study followed a sample of 137 black Americans, with nine examinations. Data on birth weight, growth, and blood pressure from birth through 28.0±2.7 years were obtained longitudinally. Bivariate correlations among parameters were computed with the Pearson r. Birth weight and blood pressure at age 28 years are not correlated (Pearson r=.06). However, systolic blood pressures measured at 0.3 years and thereafter are correlated with adult systolic blood pressure. Also, weight at 0.3 years and body mass index at 7 years and thereafter are correlated with adult weight. Our data did not confirm the birth weight–blood pressure hypothesis. Rather, we detected significant correlations between preadult measurements of blood pressure and weight with adult measurements. These results indicate that in black Americans, childhood growth is a stronger determinant than intrauterine growth of adult blood pressure.

Key Words: blood pressure • birth weight • blacks

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. B. Ojeda, D. Grigore, and B. T. Alexander Developmental Programming of Hypertension: Insight From Animal Models of Nutritional Manipulation Hypertension, July 1, 2008; 52(1): 44 - 50. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. E. Wlodek, A. Mibus, A. Tan, A. L. Siebel, J. A. Owens, and K. M. Moritz Normal Lactational Environment Restores Nephron Endowment and Prevents Hypertension after Placental Restriction in the Rat J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., June 1, 2007; 18(6): 1688 - 1696. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Shankaran, A. Das, C. R. Bauer, H. Bada, B. Lester, L. Wright, R. Higgins, and K. Poole Fetal origin of childhood disease: intrauterine growth restriction in term infants and risk for hypertension at 6 years of age. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, September 1, 2006; 160(9): 977 - 981. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Hardy, U. Sovio, V. J. King, P. M.L. Skidmore, G. Helmsdal, S. F. Olsen, P. M. Emmett, M. E.J. Wadsworth, M.-R. Jarvelin, and the EURO-BLCS Study Group Birthweight and blood pressure in five European birth cohort studies: an investigation of confounding factors Eur J Public Health, February 1, 2006; 16(1): 21 - 30. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Krieger Embodiment: a conceptual glossary for epidemiology J. Epidemiol. Community Health, May 1, 2005; 59(5): 350 - 355. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J.K. Cruickshank, F. Mzayek, L. Liu, L. Kieltyka, R. Sherwin, L.S. Webber, S.R. Srinavasan, and G.S. Berenson Origins of the "Black/White" Difference in Blood Pressure: Roles of Birth Weight, Postnatal Growth, Early Blood Pressure, and Adolescent Body Size: The Bogalusa Heart Study Circulation, April 19, 2005; 111(15): 1932 - 1937. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Y Huh, S. L Rifas-Shiman, K. P Kleinman, J. W Rich-Edwards, S. E Lipshultz, and M. W Gillman Maternal protein intake is not associated with infant blood pressure Int. J. Epidemiol., April 1, 2005; 34(2): 378 - 384. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. R Ashdown-Lambert A review of low birth weight: predictors, precursors and morbidity outcomes The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, March 1, 2005; 125(2): 76 - 83. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. T. Lackland Fetal and Early Life Determinants of Hypertension in Adults: Implications for Study Hypertension, December 1, 2004; 44(6): 811 - 812. [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Krieger and G. Davey Smith "Bodies Count," and Body Counts: Social Epidemiology and Embodying Inequality Epidemiol. Rev., July 1, 2004; 26(1): 92 - 103. [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Hardy, M. E. Wadsworth, C. Langenberg, and D. Kuh Birthweight, childhood growth, and blood pressure at 43 years in a British birth cohort Int. J. Epidemiol., February 1, 2004; 33(1): 121 - 129. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. Falkner, S. Hulman, and H. Kushner Effect of Birth Weight on Blood Pressure and Body Size in Early Adolescence Hypertension, February 1, 2004; 43(2): 203 - 207. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. E. Innes, T. E. Byers, J. A. Marshall, A. Baron, M. Orleans, and R. F. Hamman Association of a Woman's Own Birth Weight with Her Subsequent Risk for Pregnancy-induced Hypertension Am. J. Epidemiol., November 1, 2003; 158(9): 861 - 870. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. G. Rostand Oligonephronia, primary hypertension and renal disease: 'is the child father to the man?' Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., August 1, 2003; 18(8): 1434 - 1438. [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. G. Rostand Oligonephronia, primary hypertension and renal disease: 'is the child father to the man?' Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., August 1, 2003; 18(88): 1434 - 1438. [Full Text]

				S. Williams and R. Poulton Birth Size, Growth, and Blood Pressure between the Ages of 7 and 26 Years: Failure to Support the Fetal Origins Hypothesis Am. J. Epidemiol., May 1, 2002; 155(9): 849 - 852. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. McCarron, M. Okasha, J. McEwen, G. D. Smith, and B. Neal Changes in blood pressure among students attending Glasgow University between 1948 and 1968: analyses of cross sectional surveys Commentary: Changing population blood pressure levels BMJ, April 14, 2001; 322(7291): 885 - 889. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				A. Aviv Hypothesis : Pulse Pressure and Human Longevity Hypertension, April 1, 2001; 37(4): 1060 - 1066. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Law, P Egger, O Dada, H Delgado, E Kylberg, P Lavin, G-H Tang, H von Hertzen, A. Shiell, and D. Barker Body size at birth and blood pressure among children in developing countries Int. J. Epidemiol., February 1, 2001; 30(1): 52 - 57. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y. B. Cheung, L. Low, C. Osmond, D. Barker, and J. Karlberg Fetal Growth and Early Postnatal Growth Are Related to Blood Pressure in Adults Hypertension, November 1, 2000; 36(5): 795 - 800. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. P. Gomez-Sanchez and C. E. Gomez-Sanchez Maternal Hypertension and Progeny Blood Pressure : Role of Aldosterone and 11ß-HSD Hypertension, June 1, 1999; 33(6): 1369 - 1373. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]