October 03, 2012
Early recognition of high blood pressure vital during
pregnancy
New
research, part funded by us, shows high blood pressure among
expectant mothers may have an effect on their child’s IQ in later
life.
The medical records of 398 women who gave
birth to a son between 1934 and 1944 were examined by researchers.
The thinking abilities of the grown up children, including
language skills, maths reasoning and visual and spatial
awareness, were then tested aged 20 and then again at an
average age of 69.
Results showed the men whose mothers had
high blood pressure while pregnant
scored lower on thinking ability tests at age 69
compared to those men whose mothers did not have high blood
pressure.
It emphasises the importance of early recognition and treatment of raised blood pressure in pregnancy
Professor Jeremy
Pearson, our Associate Medical Director, said: “Previous work
by our scientists led to the first recognition that children born
to mothers with raised blood pressure during pregnancy have an
increased risk of
heart disease and
stroke when they grow up. This small
study suggests high blood pressure during pregnancy has another,
previously unrecognised effect.
“It further emphasises the importance of
early recognition and treatment of raised blood
pressure in pregnancy.”
Previous pioneering work into the effects of
high blood pressure during pregnancy were led by Professor
David Barker and his colleagues and supported by us.
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The new research from Finland was published in
Neurology, a journal of the American Academy of
Neurology.