Hypertension in Infants and Children

Abstract

This is a review of selected aspects of hypertension in infants and children. The causes of pediatric hypertension are discussed. The role of diet in the etiology and/or treatment of hypertension is examined. Following a discussion of the morbidity and mortality of hypertension, aspects of the treatment of chronic hypertension are presented. Finally, a series of patients seen by our service with malignant hypertension is reported.

Acute renal failure due to hypertension: Malignant hypertension in an adolescent

“…Hypertensive nephropathy is a common cause of renal failure in adults 7 but is rarely seen in children. However, Mendoza reported that this discrepancy may reflect the difference in the incidence of hypertension in the two populations 1 . The present report suggests that chronic renal insufficiency due to hypertensive nephrosclerosis, although rare, may also occur in children.…”

“…It has been reported that hypertension in children is usually secondary to an underlying disease process, such as renal or cardiovascular diseases and endocrine diseases, and that in contrast to adults, essential hypertension is relatively rare 1−3 . Malignant hypertension is defined as severe hypertensive retinopathy and the presence of organ damage, but the development of a malignant phase is rarely seen in children and adolescents 4−6 .…”