Routine Blood Pressure Check Important for Children

Q:  I took my 5-year-old to the doctor for a routine examination, thinking he was doing well. Instead, I was told that he has high blood pressure and needs more tests. How can a child have high blood pressure, and why is more testing needed?

A:  All children should have a blood pressure measurement done with routine well-child care. This is especially important in families that have a history of heart disease, hypertension and elevated cholesterol levels.

Abnormal readings, in most situations, should be repeated several times to ensure the accuracy of the measurement.

Your child's doctor should then take special care in a focused physical examination to look for any evidence of damage due to high blood pressure or obvious reasons for the condition.

In children, this can be caused by narrowing of the aorta (the largest blood vessel leaving the heart), narrowed vessels supplying the kidney, kidney damage or an overactive thyroid gland. There are special tests that can be done to help identify the cause. Often, a test called an echocardiogram is done that uses sound waves to look at the heart and its function.

When a clear cause is identified, the high blood pressure can often be "cured." If not, the child will need to take medications to lower his blood pressure to reduce the risk of the same heart problems that plague adults. These medications have a good track record and should allow your son to embrace all the excitement of childhood without fear or worry.

"Your Health" provides easy-to-understand information about common health conditions.