A lower reduction in umbilical artery pulsatility in mid-pregnancy predicts higher infant blood pressure six months after birth

Abstract

Aim The Norwegian-based Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Diet in Pregnancy study found that a cholesterol-lowering diet during pregnancy was associated with an accentuated reduction in the umbilical artery pulsatility index. This follow-up study assessed the possible association between the index and the infants' blood pressure at six months of age. Methods In the original study, pregnant women consumed an anti-atherogenic or usual diet from gestational weeks 17-20 to birth and underwent Doppler velocimetry at 24, 30 and 36 gestational weeks. In this follow-up study, blood pressure was measured in 105 mother-infant pairs in the intervention group and 106 mother-infant pairs in the control group six months after birth. Results Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were not significantly different between both groups. When the groups were combined, multivariate linear analyses showed that a lower versus higher reduction (≥-0.17 versus