Pediatric Hypertension Clinic

Akron Children’s offers a Pediatric Hypertension Clinic that provides the full range of diagnostic services, comprehensive treatment and care coordination for the management of hypertension (high blood pressure) in children and teens. The coordinated care of our nephrologists, nurses and dietitians also includes screening for lipid abnormalities (high cholesterol), diabetes and hypertension-related organ damage. 

High blood pressure in children.

Hypertension was once thought to only affect adults. However, pediatric hypertension is on the rise, and unfortunately, often goes undetected. Up to 5 percent of children are estimated to have hypertension. It is often a silent condition with little to no symptoms. It can also be a sign of another medical condition.

Left untreated, high blood pressure can put additional strain on your child’s heart, thickening the heart muscle and damaging the arteries. This can decrease blood supply and oxygen to your child’s heart, brain, kidneys and other organs.

Specialized care.

Annual well-child exams are often the first place where high blood pressure is detected. If your child’s readings remain elevated, further testing may be needed to determine the cause and ensure proper treatment.

Your child’s high blood pressure may be due to a combination of diet, activity level and family history, or caused by disorders of the heart or kidneys. The evaluation by our team will include screening for risk factors, as well as any underlying medical conditions that may be the cause. The clinic’s dietitian will obtain a detailed diet history at your first appointment, and guide you in making dietary changes to control your child’s blood pressure. 

Our social workers are also available to assist you with medical insurance or financial issues impacting your child’s diagnosis and treatment.

Because children can have “white coat hypertension,” where anxiety during a doctor’s visit causes elevated readings, we offer 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). This requires your child to wear a monitor for 24 hours, so we can get more accurate blood pressure readings while your child is in the comfortable surroundings of home. It can also be used to help the doctor determine if your child’s treatment is working.