Budding Tastes: Higher blood pressure in newborns links to salt preference

Babies who tolerate a salty flavor have higher blood pressure on average than their less tolerant counterparts do, a new study shows.

During the 30-month experiment, scientists measured blood pressures of 283 newborns at a Providence, R.I., hospital. The researchers also tested each baby’s taste preferences using a special nipple that delivers tiny drops of fluids and then records the intensity and frequency of a baby’s sucking.