First-year blood pressure increase steepest in low birthweight newborns.

The present research has been undertaken prospectively to study the impact of birthweight and growth pattern on blood pressure changes from birth through the first year of life.Parents of newborns born at term (gestational age37 weeks) after uncomplicated pregnancies and in the absence of perinatal illness were randomly invited to allow their children to participate in the study. One hundred and forty-nine (84 male and 65 female) newborns were included in the present analysis. The newborns were divided into four groups according to birthweight:2500 g (n = 23); 2500-2999 g (n = 39); 3000-3500 g (n = 48); and3500 g (n = 39).At birth systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly low…

Steep blood pressure increase in low birth weight newborns

Procedure to consistently obtain endothelial and smooth muscle cell cultures from umbilical cord vessels

The prenatal history of an individual can be responsible to some extent for the occurrence of several diseases later in life. Thus, low birth weight has been related to an increased risk of developing hypertension or type 2 diabetes. The molecular and cellular basis of this increased risk could be found in body fluids and cell types that can be obtained just after birth. To get this unique information, a methodology was developed to consistently obtain cultures of 4 cell types, endothelial and smooth muscle cells from both the vein and the arteries present in the umbilical cord of an individual. From 21 umbilical cords processed, 82 of the 84 possible cell cultures were obtained. The cell c…