Is infant arterial stiffness associated with maternal blood pressure in pregnancy? Findings from a UK birth cohort (Baby VIP study)

Background: In adults, arterial stiffness measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV) is regarded as a predictor of cardiovascular disease. Infant vascular development depends on factors related to pregnancy, including maternal blood pressure (BP). This study assessed the association between maternal BP in pregnancy and infant brachio-femoral PWV at age 2–6 weeks.

Methods: The Baby Vascular health and Iron in Pregnancy (Baby VIP) study is a birth cohort which measured PWV and heart rate (HR) in 284 babies in Leeds, UK, at 2–6 weeks after birth. Maternal BP measurements at 12 and 36 weeks gestation was collected from antenatal clinical records. Multivariable linear regression models assessed associations between maternal systolic and diastolic BPs, and BP change from booking to 36 weeks, with infant PWV adjusting for covariables at both mother and baby level.

Results: There was no evidence of an association between infant PWV and maternal systolic BP at booking (adjusted regression coefficient -0.01 m/s per 10mmHg, 95% CI -0.11, 0.14, p = 0.84) or at 36 weeks (adjusted regression coefficient 0.00 m/s per 10mmHg, 95% CI -0.12, 0.11, p = 0.95). Change between 12 and 36 weeks gestation of more than 30 mmHg in systolic BP or 15 mmHg in diastolic BP was also not associated with infant PWV. There was an inverse relationship between infant HR and infant PWV (regression coefficient -0.14 m/s per 10 bpm, 95% CI -0.22, -0.05, p<0.01).

Conclusions: This study has shown no evidence of association between infant PWV at 2–6 weeks of age and maternal BP in early or late pregnancy. Infant HR was inversely associated with infant PWV. Further studies are required to determine the predictors of infant PWV as well as the importance and long term implications of PWV measurements in infants.