Blood pressure and heart rate changes in children when they read aloud in school

The 52 children in the study were recruited from two fifth grade classes in Baltimore city. The blood pressures and heart rates were recorded both at rest and while they read aloud in a classroom setting. A computerized monitoring system was used to measure blood pressures. Rapid and highly significant increases in blood pressure and heart rate were observed when the children read aloud. A total of 84 measurements of 312 systolic and diastolic readings were not within the 95th percentile of normal pressure for the child's age and sex. The data indicate that a routine school task, that is, reading aloud, may have significant effects on the cardiovascular system. These findings are discussed in terms of previously unexamined links between certain childhood school experiences and potential problems with adult hypertension.