Distribution of blood pressure and selected clinico epidemiological correlate among normal newborns in a tertiary care health centre in South India

Abstract

Background: BP monitoring is mandatory in all newborns to find out the cardiac as well as renal 
diseases. Premature infants have a limited ability to auto regulate cerebral blood flow when compared to 
full-term infants and hypotension is a major concern in them. Measures should be taken to detect 
neonatal hypotension and hypertension as earlier as possible and thereby they can be managed well. 
Aim: To determine the normative distribution of blood pressure in healthy newborns in the tertiary care 
setting in 1st 48 hours of life. To find out the factors affecting blood pressure in healthy newborn and to 
find out relationship between blood pressure distribution and anthropometric measurements of neonates. 
Materials and Methods  
Study design: This is a descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in the post-natal ward of 
DR.SMCSI Medical College Hospital, Karakonam, Kerala, India.  
Study population: Newborns in the postnatal ward after physical examination including modified 
Ballard assessment and APGAR score at 1 and 5 minutes were selected for the study.