American Heart Association says Preterm Birth leads to Smaller Kidneys, Higher Blood Pressure in Adulthood

American Heart Association Meeting Report Abstract 134

Orlando, FL – Premature birth cuts short kidney development, resulting in smaller kidney size and higher blood pressure in adulthood, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Council on Hypertension 2016 Scientific Sessions.

“Adults born preterm may not present with the ‘classical’ risk factors for heart disease, but they are at increased risk of hypertension and insulin resistance and certainly require regular medical follow-up,” said Anne Monique Nuyt, M.D., senior author of the study and head of the division of neonatology at the Sainte-Justine University Hospital and Research Center of the University of Montreal, Canada.

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Tennessee Department of Health says progress made in Preventing Premature Births

Nashville, TN – The last few weeks and months of pregnancy are an important time for a developing baby’s organs to be fully prepared for birth and life. Those babies who are born before 37 weeks of pregnancy are completed are considered premature or preterm, and may face a variety of short- and long-term health challenges.

Numerous state and national efforts to reduce the rate of premature births have made commendable progress, but Tennessee and the rest of the nation still have room for improvement.

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