Pediatric cardiologists have warned that more youngsters, particularly those from affluent families, are developing excessive blood pressure.

According to cardiologists, the wealthy's bad lifestyle choices may be a big contributor to the development.

The impulse to feed children fast, processed food and carbohydrates while denying them the opportunity to play outside is incorrect, according to the experts, because the food consumed by the youngsters is eventually converted into fat.

The pediatric cardiologists emphasized that hypertension in children is not as easily detected as it is in adults, but they asked parents to be on the lookout for signs of the illness in their children.

They recommended that children's blood pressure be tested starting at the age of three and that parents begin to notice any changes in their children's blood pressure readings.

High blood pressure in children is defined as blood pressure that is at or above the 95th percentile, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Although there are normally no symptoms of hypertension in children, Mayo Clinic advises parents to be aware of signals such as headaches, seizures, vomiting, chest pain, and shortness of breath in children, as these could be evidence of high blood pressure.

Wilson Sadoh, a Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Benin's School of Medicine, College of Medical Sciences, told PUNCH HealthWise that parents need to start dealing with high blood pressure caused by obesity.

"The key reason why there appears to be an increase in raised blood is because of the rise in obesity," Sadoh, who is also a Fellow of the American College of Cardiologists, stated. Many children are obese in schools, especially private schools, and this is the cause of the so-called rise in hypertension in youngsters."

He attributed the increase in blood pressure to the children's diet and lack of physical activity. "It's what they consume," he explained. They consume a lot of fast food, soda, meat pies, and other such things. Instead of eating healthy meals, they consume fast food and soda. These factors lead to their weight growth." Another factor is that they do not engage in as much physical activity as they should. Rather than children playing outside, they frequently watch a lot of television and play video games.