Ömer GÜRAN, Sinan USLU, Ali BÜLBÜL, Evrim KIRAY BAŞ, Muhittin ÇELİK, Umut ZÜBARİOĞLU
The Journal of Pediatric Research - 2026;13(3):220-226
Aim: To establish descriptive reference blood pressure (BP) values in healthy full-term Turkish newborns during the first seven postnatal days and to identify associated perinatal factors. Materials and Methods: In this prospective observational study (April-September 2012), 419 healthy term newborns (>=37 weeks of gestation) underwent daily BP measurement using the oscillometric method. Exclusion criteria included neonatal intensive care unit admission, low 5th minute Apgar scores (<7), congenital anomalies, maternal pregnancy complications, or chronic disease. Results: The newborns' mean birth weight, length, and gestational age were 3,302+/-398 g, 48.95+/-1.9 cm, and 39.28+/-1.19 weeks, respectively. The mean BP increased significantly from Day 1 to Days 5-7 (48.10+/-7.35 mmHg -> 59.23+/-6.79 mmHg; p<0.0001). Sex and parity were not associated with BP. Caesarean delivery was linked to lower Day 1 BP. Birth length, the five-minute Apgar score, and maternal systolic BP were positively correlated with Day 1 BP, although correlation coefficients indicated weak associations (r<0.3). Conclusion: This study provides descriptive early postnatal BP values for healthy Turkish newborns. Maternal BP, neonatal length, and Apgar score influence first-day BP, but their clinical relevance is limited due to weak correlations and the low explanatory power of regression models.
