Growing number of children diagnosed with high blood pressure

More nutritional child abuse.

High blood pressure is a serious problem among adults, but a study out Monday shows an alarming number of children have it too.

Hospital visits for kids with high blood pressure nearly doubled in a 10-year period to more than 24,000.

Fourteen-year-old Kyle Mutschler has been hospitalized four times because of dangerously high blood pressure. He takes four medications and his mother Lynette keeps track of everything he eats.

"It's definitely a much different lifestyle than the average person lives," Kyle said. "You're constantly having to monitor your blood pressure, constantly having to have different foods, constantly having to exercise."

The study released today looked at the number of children like Kyle who had to be hospitalized for high blood pressure.

The increase in cases has also lead to a 50 percent increase in treatment cost -- to more than $3billion.

"We've all seen it. We've seen it associated with the marked increase in obesity, but not to these numbers," said Dr. Rick Kaskel, pediatric kidney specialist at Montefiore Hospital in New York. "And, I think the hospitalization rate is what is astounding here."

Hold parents accountable.