Most people don't realize that even young children can be affected by high blood pressure. Most people think of high blood pressure (known as hypertension to doctors) as a condition that only adults get. But even babies can have it.
Most of the cases of very small children having an increased pressure are usually related to another existing condition. The primary reason more and more children are getting hypertension is a long list of harmful lifestyle choices they learn from their parents. Obesity the most common risk factor for high blood pressure is at an all time high among our young people.
Other causes of high blood pressure in children are genetic factors. For example if a child has hypertension there is a chance that one or both parents have hypertension. Another cause and perhaps one of the main ones is the weight of the children. The first step to reduce the high pressure in children is weight reduction, if the child is overweight.
If you don't take steps to treat your child's high blood pressure, there can be consequences later in the form of decreased organ efficiency and longevity.
A healthy blood pressure reading for a child would be around 110 to 120 systolic and 70 to 80 diastolic - which is approximately the same as a healthy adult.