There are so many reasons for health monitoring during pregnancy, including attention to high blood pressure levels. Researchers do not understand why, but this recent survey shows a link between high blood pressure during pregnancy and obesity in kids later on.
Chinese researchers studied 88,406 mother-child pairs, with complete data on maternal blood pressure during pregnancy and multiple follow-ups between ages 4 and 7 for the children. About 10 percent of the children were overweight or obese. Source: High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy Tied to Obesity in Children – The New York Times
Only 4 percent of women have dangerous high blood pressure levels during pregnancy, but all women should be aware of the risks of even elevated blood pressure levels and discuss them with caregivers.
Read more: Why high blood pressure in pregnancy matters