Gestational hypertensive disorders and blood pressure and childhood cardiac outcomes: A prospective cohort study

Objective: To assess whether gestational hypertensive disorders and higher gestational blood pressure were associated with subclinical changes in offspring cardiac structure and function during childhood. Design: Population-based prospective cohort study. Setting: Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Population: A cohort of 2502 mother-offspring pairs. Methods: Maternal blood pressure was measured in early, mid and late pregnancy, and information on gestational disorders were obtained from medical records. Offspring cardiac measurements were assessed by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance at 10 years. Main outcome measures: Left and right ventricular end-diastolic volumes (LVEDVs and RVEDVs), and ejection fractions, and left ventricular mass (LVM). Results: Offspring exposed to pre-eclampsia had a lower right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) (difference, -0.31 SDS; 95% CI -0.60, -0.02); however, no associations with other cardiac outcomes were present. Higher maternal diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in early and late pregnancy was associated with lower LVEDVs and RVEDVs (p < 0.05), with the strongest effect in early pregnancy. No associations of systolic blood pressure (SBP) with offspring outcomes were present. These associations persisted after additional adjustment for birth and child factors. Paternal SBP and DBP were not associated with offspring cardiac outcomes. Conclusions: No consistent associations of gestational hypertensive disorder status with childhood cardiac outcomes were present. Higher maternal DBP throughout pregnancy was associated with lower childhood LVEDVs and RVEDVs. Stronger maternal-offspring rather than paternal-offspring associations were present, which may suggest that suboptimal maternal gestational haemodynamic adaptations affects offspring cardiac structure through direct intrauterine effects. Further studies are needed to replicate these findings and examine the underlying mechanisms.

Automated summary

This study aimed to examine the association between gestational hypertensive disorders and gestational blood pressure with subclinical changes in cardiac structure and function of offspring. The results showed that offspring exposed to pre-eclampsia had lower right ventricular ejection fraction. Higher maternal diastolic blood pressure in early and late pregnancy was associated with lower left and right ventricular end-diastolic volumes. There were no consistent associations with other cardiac outcomes.