Oscillometric Blood Pressure Values of Infants and Children

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Automated oscillometric blood pressure measurement is not used universally, but has a tendency to be used more frequently in pediatric areas. Reference values of blood pressure by this method were not reported on infants and children under 5 years of age in Korea. This study was performed to study normative blood pressure values by using oscillometric method, presenting 95 percentites on Korean infants and children by age, sex, and weight. METHODS: The subjects were 2,989 normal infants and children from birth to 11 years of age. Blood pressure was measured three times by automated oscillometric method. Percentile values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure were presented according to age, sex and weight. RESULTS: There were no differences in systolic and diastolic blood pressure between male and female in these age groups. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure values increased significantly with increasing age and also with increasing weight. Blood pressure was more correlated with weight than with age. CONCLUSION: Oscillometric blood pressure values in infants and children were presented by age, sex and weight. These normal blood pressure values may be useful in identifying hypertension in Korean children.