Pediatric Hypertension: What You Need to Know

Could your child be suffering from pediatric hypertension? We tend to think of hypertension as being a disease of adults, but, surprisingly enough, anywhere from 2 to 5 percent of children meet the criteria for the diagnosis of pediatric hypertension. Disturbingly, hypertension in a child is often under diagnosed, leaving the child open for health problems later in life.

There are actually two types of hypertension. Primary hypertension which is the form of hypertension most commonly seen in children and adults where there is no known underlying cause. Secondary hypertension is hypertension found to be related to an underlying kidney, heart, or other health problem.

Secondary hypertension is more commonly seen in children than in adults, although it is still less common than primary hypertension where no known cause can be found. To rule out secondary hypertension, your child would need to be evaluated by a physician who will run the appropriate tests to rule out the most common secondary causes. If secondary hypertension is diagnosed, treatment would center around correcting the underlying medical problem that's causing the hypertension.

What causes primary hypertension to occur in a child? While no one knows the definitive answer to this, hypertension in a child has been associated with low birth weight, a family history of hypertension as well as obesity. Interestingly enough, it's less common to see the negative health effects of hypertension in s a child such as heart problems, stroke, and kidney failure. If this is the case, why is it so important to get pediatric hypertension under control? Childhood hypertension is a strong risk factor for the development of adult hypertension as well as adult onset heart disease which gives us cause for concern.

Because pediatric hypertension can be present in the absence of symptoms, it's important that your child's blood pressure be measured at each office visit starting at the age of three years. If your child is found to have primary hypertension on exam, what options are available for treatment?

Your child's physician may recommend weight loss, increased physical activity, and reduced sodium intake in mild cases of primary pediatric hypertension. If these measures fail to lower the blood pressure or if there's evidence of organ damage from your child's hypertension, your child's pediatrician will likely recommend drug therapy. Many of the medications used to treat hypertension in the child are similar to those used in adult hypertension.

How long will your child need to treated for pediatric hypertension? Your child's doctor may attempt to lower your child's medication dose after 6-12 months of treatment. In some cases of blood pressures remain normal as medication doses are lowered, your child may be able to be taken off of blood pressure medication, particularly if more healthy eating and exercise habits have been adopted. With proper changes in lifestyle, many children can end up medication free going into adulthood.