Determinants of Blood Pressure in Newborns: An Observational Study Correlating Blood Pressure With Gestational Age and Birth Weight

Q: What are the key findings of this study?

Gestational age and birth weight strongly correlated with neonatal blood pressure (r=0.602-0.774, p<0.001), with higher systolic pressure in term vs preterm infants (70.31 vs 61.99 mmHg).

Q: What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Observational. Population: Neonatal cardiovascular adaptation and blood pressure evaluation (n=500). Intervention: Term gestation (≥37 weeks) and higher birth weight vs. Preterm gestation (<37 weeks) and low birth weight. Primary outcome: Systolic blood pressure (SBP, mmHg) and correlation with gestational age (r=0.774 (SBP vs gestational age); r=0.602 (SBP vs birth weight), p=<0.001).

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

Gestational age and birth weight are strong positive determinants of neonatal blood pressure, with term infants demonstrating significantly higher systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure than preterm infants. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.CONFIRMATORY. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Q: What question did this study set out to answer?

To study the blood pressure profile of newborn infants and evaluate its correlation with gestational age and birth weight.

doi:10.25258/ijddt.16.65s.122

October 13, 2026International Journal of Drug Delivery TechnologyOpen Access

Determinants of Blood Pressure in Newborns: An Observational Study Correlating Blood Pressure With Gestational Age and Birth Weight

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Key result

Term birth is linked to ~8 mmHg higher neonatal systolic blood pressure than preterm birth.

r=0.774 (SBP vs gestational age); r=0.602 (SBP vs birth weight)
P<0.001
n=500

Why the study?

Establishing the relationship between neonatal blood pressure and major determinants such as gestational age and birth weight is essential for identifying neonates at risk of hypotension or hypertension and guiding clinical management.

Key Points

To study the blood pressure profile of newborn infants and evaluate its correlation with gestational age and birth weight.
Hospital-based observational study conducted among 500 neonates admitted to the neonatal unit and postnatal wards of a tertiary care hospital.
The cohort included 366 (73.2%) term and 134 (26.8%) preterm infants, with 252 (50.4%) males and 248 (49.6%) females.
Standardized non-invasive measurements of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were obtained within 6–24 hours of life.
Overall mean SBP, DBP, and MAP were 68.08 ± 6.14 mmHg, 41.15 ± 4.11 mmHg, and 50.10 ± 4.53 mmHg, with term neonates demonstrating significantly higher values than preterm neonates (p<0.001).
Blood pressure showed significant positive correlations with gestational age (r=0.679–0.774), birth weight (r=0.602–0.734), crown–heel length (r=0.479–0.523), and head circumference (r=0.480–0.618) (all p<0.001).
Significantly lower blood pressure values occurred in neonates requiring resuscitation at birth and those with lower 1-minute APGAR scores (p<0.001), whereas no significant differences were observed by sex or maternal anaemia.

Study Design

Type

Observational (n=500)

Multicenter

No

Structured PICO

P

Population

500 clinically stable newborn infants (49.6% female; 73.2% term and 26.8% preterm), free of birth asphyxia, congenital malformations, or vasoactive drug exposure, evaluated within 6 to 24 hours of birth at a tertiary care hospital in India.

O

Outcome

Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) measured non-invasively using the oscillometric technique within 6–24 hours of life, and their correlation with gestational age and birth weightsurrogate

Main Result

Effect estimate: r=0.774 (SBP vs gestational age); r=0.602 (SBP vs birth weight)

Absolute Event Rate: 70.31% vs 61.99%

p-value: p=<0.001

This observational study establishes strong positive correlations between neonatal blood pressure and both gestational age and birth weight in an Indian cohort, providing local gestational age-specific percentile charts to aid early identification of neonatal hemodynamic instability.

Limitations

Single tertiary care hospital setting in a specific geographical region limits generalizability to the broader neonatal population
Blood pressure measurements were taken only once during the early neonatal period (6-24 hours of life), precluding evaluation of subsequent postnatal trends
Potentially relevant confounding factors such as maternal medication use, antenatal steroid exposure, feeding status, sleep-wake state, and underlying illness were not assessed in detail
Single tertiary care hospital study, limiting generalisability
Sample drawn from a specific geographical region, so regional and demographic factors may have influenced results
Blood pressure measurements were taken only during the early neonatal period, precluding evaluation of subsequent postnatal changes
Other potentially relevant factors such as maternal medication use, antenatal steroid exposure, feeding status, sleep-wake state, and underlying neonatal illness were not assessed in detail

Implication

Supports adjusting neonatal BP norms for gestational age and birth weight; leaves open whether correlations predict outcomes or warrant practice changes.

Abstract

BackgroundBlood pressure (BP) is an important physiological parameter in newborns and reflects cardiovascular adaptation during the neonatal period.Several factors influence neonatal blood pressure, among which gestational age and birth weight are considered major determinants.Establishing the relationship between blood pressure and these variables is essential for identifying neonates at risk of hypotension or hypertension and for guiding appropriate clinical management. ObjectivesTo study the blood pressure profile of newborn babies and to evaluate its correlation with gestational age and birth weight. MethodsThis hospital-based observational study was conducted among newborn babies admitted to the neonatal unit and postnatal wards of a tertiary care hospital.Blood pressure measurements were obtained using an appropriate non-invasive method under standardized conditions.Gestational age was determined from maternal history and clinical assessment, while birth weight was recorded soon after delivery.Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were analyzed and correlated with gestational age and birth weight using appropriate statistical tests. ResultsA total of 500 neonates were enrolled, including 366 (73.2%) term and 134 (26.8%) preterm infants.The mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were 68.08 ± 6.14 mmHg, 41.15 ± 4.11 mmHg, and 50.10 ± 4.53 mmHg, respectively.Term neonates had significantly higher SBP, DBP, and MAP than preterm neonates (p<0.001).Blood pressure showed significant positive correlations with gestational age (r=0.679-0.774),birth weight (r=0.602-0.734),crown-heel length (r=0.479-0.523),and head circumference (r=0.480-0.618)(p<0.001).Neonates requiring resuscitation at birth and those with lower 1-minute APGAR scores had significantly lower blood pressure values (p<0.001).No significant differences in blood pressure were observed with respect to sex or maternal anaemia.Gestational age-specific percentile charts for SBP, DBP, and MAP were generated for neonates between 31 and 41 weeks of gestation. ConclusionNeonatal blood pressure is significantly influenced by gestational age and birth weight.Lower blood pressure values are commonly observed in preterm and low-birth-weight infants.These findings highlight the importance of considering gestational age and birth weight while interpreting blood pressure measurements in newborns and may aid in the early identification and management of hemodynamic abnormalities.

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Cite This Study

A 2026 study conducted an observational in Neonatal cardiovascular adaptation and blood pressure evaluation (n=500). Term gestation (≥37 weeks) and higher birth weight vs. Preterm gestation (<37 weeks) and low birth weight was evaluated on Systolic blood pressure (SBP, mmHg) and correlation with gestational age (r=0.774 (SBP vs gestational age); r=0.602 (SBP vs birth weight), p=<0.001). Gestational age and birth weight strongly correlated with neonatal blood pressure (r=0.602-0.774, p<0.001), with higher systolic pressure in term vs preterm infants (70.31 vs 61.99 mmHg).

synapsesocial.com/papers/6ae28e56cbadf70daf6c416e https://doi.org/10.25258/ijddt.16.65s.122

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Determinants of Blood Pressure in Newborns: An Observational Study Correlating Blood Pressure With Gestational Age and Birth Weight

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Main Result

Limitations

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Determinants of Blood Pressure in Newborns: An Observational Study Correlating Blood Pressure With Gestational Age and Birth Weight

Key Points

Study Design

Structured PICO

Main Result

Limitations

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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