Work

Association between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and neurocognitive development in children aged 36 months: a cohort study in Matlab, Bangladesh

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Objectives To evaluate the association between hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and neurodevelopmental outcomes among children aged approximately 36 months in a rural area of Bangladesh.Methods The study was based on HDP cases identified within a pregnancy cohort conducted between April 2015 and March 2018. Children born to HDP-exposed mothers (n=173) and a randomly selected group of HDP-unexposed mothers (n=350) were assessed for cognitive, language and motor development using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III), between November 2019 and July 2021. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine the associations and results were reported as adjusted mean differences in composite scores (β coefficients) with 95% CIs.Results Overall, children born to mothers with HDP had lower mean composite scores for cognitive (β=−1.14, 95% CI −2.06 to −0.22), language (β=−1.54, 95% CI −2.56 to −0.52) and motor (β=−2.52, 95% CI −3.95 to −1.08) development compared with children of HDP-unexposed mothers. Significant associations were also observed across several developmental subdomains. When analyses were stratified by specific HDP types, the effects were more pronounced among children exposed to chronic hypertension, whereas no significant association was detected for exposure to pre-eclampsia.Conclusion HDP were associated with impaired neurocognitive development among children in a rural area of Bangladesh. The strength of these associations varied across developmental domains and by specific HDP types.

Source: BMJ Paediatrics Open

DOI: 10.1136/bmjpo-2025-004246