At what age should routine blood pressure screening begin in children?

Routine blood pressure screening in children typically begins at age 3. This guideline is based on the understanding that blood pressure can vary widely in infants and toddlers due to various physiological changes and developmental stages. After age 3, regular blood pressure measurements can help detect hypertension or other cardiovascular issues as children grow. The rationale for initiating screening at this age is to establish a baseline for future assessments, allowing healthcare providers to monitor trends in blood pressure as children progress through their developmental years. Early detection of elevated blood pressure is important for preventing potential health issues later in life, such as cardiovascular disease.

Choosing to start screening at earlier ages, such as at birth or 1 year, is not commonly recommended because those early ages do not usually provide consistent or reliable blood pressure readings that would be useful for screening purposes.