People whose birthweights were towards the lower end of the
normal range have higher blood pressures as children and adults
than people whose birthweights were towards the upper end[1,2].
This has led to the hypothesis that blood pressure levels are programmed in utero[3]. Programming is the phenomenon whereby
minor variations in nutrient supply to different organs and systems
during development permanently set the structure and function of
the body. Birthweight is correlated with placental weight. Bigger
babies generally have heavier placentas. Some studies have shown
that hypertension in later life is related to low placental weight[4,5],
while others have shown relationships with a high ratio of placenta