How often does your family have their blood pressure checked?
Checking blood pressure is often associated with grown-ups, but it’s time to get in the habit of checking your child’s blood pressure.
According to Dr. Sue Hubbard, “the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children, beginning at the age of three years, should routinely have their blood pressure checked.”
Three years old! Can you believe it? You’d think that when your kids are at that age, you should be worrying about things like tantrums…but nope! Gotta check that blood pressure, too.
Dr. Hubbard advises against relying on automated blood pressure readings. Here’s why…
…I find they are often inaccurate and I prefer to use the “old fashioned” cuff and stethescope to listen for blood pressure. If the blood pressure reading is abnormal, then I have the child/adolescent have their blood pressure taken over a week or two at different times of the day.
Who knows? You may be surprised that your child may have high blood pressure, and it may or may not be because of anxiety. You can never too too sure which is more of a reason to have your kids’ blood pressure taken regularly.
Why It’s Important To Check A Child’s Blood Pressure [The Kid's Doctor]
