ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to analyze ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) data in office normotensive obese children, to determine the prevalence and characteristics of masked hypertension (MH) and to investigate the impact of parental hypertension (PH) on ABP.MethodsSeventy-nine obese and 35 normal weight children were enrolled. Each weight group was further divided in accordance with the presence of PH. ABP was recorded in an outpatient setting.ResultsObese children had higher systolic ABP (p2=10.37; p=0.001). MH was diagnosed more frequently in obese with high-normal office BP compared with obese with normal office BP, although it did not reach statistical significance (50 vs. 26.2%; χ2=3.631; p=0.056). In the normal weight group, neither PH nor office BP category had an impact on the prevalence of MH.ConclusionsOffice normotensive obese children had higher ABP values. MH was associated with obesity, PH and high-normal BP.