Should first blood pressure measurement be performed in the newborn?

Abstract

Abstract Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common form of cardiomyopathy and the main cause of cardiac transplantation in children and in adults. Infants and children have a wider spectrum of etiologies, hampering their identification. The most frequent initial manifestation of dilated cardiomyopathy is symptomatic heart failure during exercise or at rest (although many patients are asymptomatic). Some causes are potentially reversible, therefore the investigation should be carefully planned and immediately performed after diagnosis. In most children no cause is identified, which limits the targeted therapeutic approach and therefore the effectiveness of the treatment. The authors present a case of dilated cardiomyopathy secondary to renovascular hypertension diagnosed in an infant with 3.5 month-old, highlighting the etiological investigation, treatment and evolution. The authors present this case emphasising the fact that the arterial hypertension diagnose in infants is not always easy, questioning the current recommendations relating to an initial evaluation on blood pressure. We postulate that the assessment of blood pressure in newborns can detect early renovascular hypertension (and even other cardiovascular diseases) and help prevent the development of deleterious effects, including fatal episodes.