Baby weight gain linked to blood pressure

BRISTOL, England, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Babies who gain weight rapidly within five months of birth and age 2 to 5 have higher systolic blood pressure in young adulthood, British researchers say.

The study, published in the Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association, also found that babies who are lighter at birth have higher systolic blood pressure as adults and immediate weight gain after birth is associated with higher adult diastolic blood pressure.

Lead author Yoav Ben-Shlomo of the University of Bristol in England said that at an individual level, the baby weight changes wouldn't be very important but in public health terms they are relevant.

Researchers evaluated 679 adults -- about age 25 -- whose growth patterns were tracked as infants. Measurements had been recorded 14 times between birth and age 5.

The researchers said that if two babies were born at average weight and one remains at a steady weight gain and the another has a higher weight gain the second baby would have higher systolic blood pressure at age 25 -- after adjusting for other factors such as how much they weighed at birth or 5 years, smoking and adult obesity.