ABSTRACT
This study aims to describe the blood pressure profile of newborns of preeclampsia mothers in Vali-e-Asr hospital during 2003-2004. In this cross-sectional descriptive analytical study 200 mothers and their newborns were studied. Blood pressure of all newborns was checked by oscillometric method on the first day after birth and recorded in a questionnaire along with information pertaining to the mother, obtained by interview or through medical file retrieval. The newborns of mothers with high systolic [>140 mmHg] and diastolic [>90 mmHg] blood pressure had mean systolic [65.40 mmHg] and diastolic [42.85 mmHg] blood pressures higher than that in neonates of normotensive mothers[P <0.006]. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure of neonates whose mothers were preeclampsia [68.2/42.11 mmHg or chronically hypertensive [68.59/ 41.50 mmHg-] were significantly higher than neonates of normotensive mothers [P<0.0001 and P<0.002, respectively].Newborns of smokers had significantly higher blood pressures too [P<0.02]. Mother's blood pressure can affect neonatal blood pressure. Chronic hypertension, pre-eclampsia, and cigarette smoking in mothers can adversely alter neonatal blood pressure. These maternal conditions should be screened and managed as soon as possible