A study led by Johns Hopkins Children’s Center researchers shows that some preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) — even without major complications of premature birth — have a heightened risk of persistent hypertension as they grow. Findings from the study, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and published Sept. 5 in JAMA Network Open , not only add to evidence that prematurity and associated complications increase the risk of high blood pressure , but also suggest that in some cases the increased risk could be related to potential exposures in the NICU.

The researchers conclude that the findings underscore the need to screen prematurely born babies — and, in particular, those admitted to a NICU — throughout childhood for signs of hi

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