Arati Behera
BACKGROUND
Hypertension is a public health challenge for societies, not only in adults, but also in children in socioeconomic and epidemiological transition and one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular death accounting for 20-50% of all deaths. This study was done to screen all hospitalised children and outpatient clinic children in the age group of 1-14 years and find out those who were hypertensive and establish the aetiology and clinical features.
MATERIALS AND METHODS Blood pressure was measured in children making 2 study groups. Study group 1 (3754 hospitalised children) and study group 2(820 outpatient clinic children) in the age group of 1-14 years. Children who were detected to be having hypertension were evaluated by proper history, clinical examination and necessary investigations. Children below 1 year were excluded from the study.
RESULTS
Secondary hypertension (80 (98.76%)) was common in children. Among the causes of secondary hypertension, renal parenchymal disease (64 (79.01%)) was the predominant aetiology. Prevalence of hypertension in our study 2.7%, prevalence of essential hypertension is 1% and prevalence of secondary hypertension is 1.7%.
CONCLUSION
Systemic hypertension is uncommon in infancy and childhood, but whenever present is usually indicative of an underlying process (secondary hypertension). In contrast, adolescents develop primary or essential hypertension with no underlying cause. Accurate blood pressure measurement should be a part of routine physical examination of all children and at least of that more than 1 year of age.
