The heart is an important pump that sends blood throughout the body by way of arteries. Pulse points are areas of the body where the blood pump rate can be detected by arteries that are close to the skin. A person's pulse rate, which is the number of pulses (or heartbeats) per minute, may vary based on a range of factors, including age; the normal pulse rate for a child is different from the pulse rate for an adult.
Measuring a Child's Pulse
The pulse can be measured at the back of the knees, the groin, the neck, the top or inner side of a foot, the wrist and the temple, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. To measure a child's pulse at his wrist, for example, would place your index and middle fingers over the underside of his wrist below the base of his thumb and press down firmly with flattened fingers until the pulse is felt. As soon as you locate the pulse, count the beats for a minute. Alternately, if he won't sit still for long, measure it for 30 seconds and multiply the result by two.
Normal Pulse at Rest
The rate of a person's pulse when at rest changes with age. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, a newborn's resting pulse rate is between 100 and 160 beats per minute, a child between 1 and 10 years old has a resting pulse rate of between 70 and 120 beats per minute and children older than age 10 and adults have a resting pulse of between 60 and 100 beats per minute. However, a well-trained athlete may have a resting pulse rate as low as 40 to 60 beats per minute.
Normal Maximum Pulse
The maximum pulse is the highest a person's pulse can get. One basic method of predicting a child's maximum pulse rate is to subtract his age from the number 220, according to the Cleveland Clinic. A 10-year-old child, for example, would have a predicted maximum pulse of 210. However, the child's actual maximum pulse may be higher or lower depending on factors such as any medications she may be taking or any medical conditions she may have. A child would need to submit to a medical exercise test for her actual maximum pulse to be revealed.
Normal Tachycardia
Some common conditions cause a child to experience tachycardia, or a faster than normal heart rate. Exercise, for example, causes the body to require more oxygen, so the pulse rate increases to meet demand. Fear, anxiety, anemia, fevers and breathing difficulties such as asthma can also cause the pulse rate to increase, according to the Children's Heart Institute.
Abnormal Pulse Rate
Consult a pediatrician if your child's pulse rate is consistently high, low, firm or irregular (e.g., it feels like it's skipping beats), says the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Although your child may be perfectly fine, an abnormal pulse rate can indicate an underlying health problem
