Impact of maternal anxiety on children’s orthostatic blood pressure regulation and anxiety

Abstract

When changing posture from supine to standing, an increase in systolic blood pressure (SBP) is necessary for optimal orthostatic blood pressure (BP) regulation. Poor orthostatic BP regulation has been correlated with negative mood and behavioral sequelae in adults and children. This may be explained by the common neurobiological mechanism associated with cardiovascular functioning and anxiety. This study examined orthostatic BP regulation – indicated by SBP change – in healthy Caucasian and African American children aged 7–10 years. A multiple regression analysis was used to assess pediatric SBP change and state and trait anxiety in children and their mothers. Results revealed that higher state anxiety levels in children were associated with less effective SBP change. More importantly, higher maternal trait anxiety was also associated with less effective SBP in children. Trait and state anxiety may each have distinct links to orthostatic BP regulation, warranting further investigation of these processes across the lifespan.