Table 4.
Estimated systolic blood pressure (SBP) in mmHg at age 3 years in children of mothers with and without anemia or low iron intake in the 1st or 2nd trimester of pregnancy
| Mean (SE) SBP | Mean (SE) SBP | Difference (mmHg) | 95% Confidence Interval | P-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anemia | No | Yes | |||
| 1st Trimester | 97.5 (3.4) | 99.1 (3.0) | −1.6 | −5.0, 1.8 | 0.36 |
| 2nd Trimester | 97.3 (3.4) | 97.0 (3.6) | 0.3 | −1.7, 2.3 | 0.76 |
| Low iron intake | No | Yes | |||
| 1st Trimester | 97.4 (3.0) | 96.8 (3.0) | 0.5 | −0.6, 1.7 | 0.36 |
| 2nd Trimester | 95.1 (3.1) | 95.7 (3.1) | −0.6 | −2.3, 1.1 | 0.50 |
Anaemia in pregnancy is defined according to criteria published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention26 as haemoglobin level <11 g/dl in the first trimester and <10.5 g/dl in the second trimester. Low iron intake is defined as <27 mg/day, the Recommended Dietary Allowance during pregnancy.25 Estimates are adjusted for blood pressure measurement conditions (extremity used, cuff size, state, position, measurement order), child gestational age, sex and age, height and weight at the time of blood pressure measurement; and for maternal age, pre-pregnancy body mass index, pregnancy weight gain, smoking, income, education and race/ethnicity. SE is standard error.