Blood pressure values in 500- to 750-gram birthweight infants in the first week of life.

The means and standard deviations for systolic, mean, and diastolic blood pressure were noted in the first week after delivery for 12 hemodynamically stable infants by a retrospective chart review. Blood pressure taken by means of an umbilical artery transducer or an oscillometer were not statistically different. All blood pressure values increased during the first week after birth. A trend was noted toward increasing blood pressure with increasing gestational age for the first week after birth. We conclude that the range of blood pressure in 500- to 750-g birthweight infants is extremely wide and that it may be necessary to use other clinical criteria in conjunction with blood pressure to determine which infants require intervention for hypotension.