Blood pressure plays a crucial role during pregnancy and a new study cautions against high blood pressure during pregnancy as it lowers intelligence levels of the child, especially boys.
Researchers from the University of Helsinki, Finland included 398 men, born between 1934 and 1944 for examining the link between mother's blood pressure and the child's IQ in old age.
They used medical records to collect details regarding the mothers' health condition during pregnancy. Participants underwent some tests (language skills, math reasoning, visual and spatial reasoning) that measured their thinking abilities at 20 years and then at 69.
Proving the link, researchers found children of mothers, having high blood pressure during pregnancy, scoring less (4.36 points) on thinking ability tests at both at age 20 and also at 69 compared to those without a history of high blood pressure. The impact was found higher in old age and in math-related reasoning.
"High blood pressure and related conditions such as preeclampsia complicate about 10 percent of all pregnancies and can affect a baby's environment in the womb," study author Dr. Katri Räikkönen, said in a news release.
Though the researchers do not fully explain the "why" part of the occurrence, according to them maternal health during pregnancy is crucial for supporting brain development of the unborn baby.
"Our study suggests that even declines in thinking abilities in old age could have originated during the prenatal period when the majority of the development of brain structure and function occurs," Räikkönen said.
Findings of the study have been published in Neurology. According to National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, high blood pressure affects between six and eight percent of pregnant women in U.S.
High blood pressure during pregnancy is a risk factor for both the mother and the unborn baby. It affects mother's organs, including kidneys and leads to low birth weight and premature birth. In severe cases, it leads to the onset of preeclampsia.
Women suffering from preeclampsia will have high blood pressure, fluid retention and protein in the urine leading to adverse impact on the growth of the unborn baby in the uterus.
