Every time your child sees a pediatrician, someone in the office checks blood pressure and pulse. Pulse equals the number of times per minute your child's heart beats, and blood pressure shows the pressure of your child's blood on her artery walls. The top, or systolic, number of a blood pressure reading is the pressure when the heart is pumping blood through the artery; the bottom, or diastolic, number is the pressure in between heartbeats.
What Numbers Reflect Normal Blood Pressure In Children?
In adults, both systolic and diastolic blood pressure have relevance, but doctors generally consider a child's systolic blood pressure more important than the diastolic number. The greater elasticity and flexibility of a child's younger arteries means that except in unusual circumstances, there's little concern with the bottom number.
Normal values, according to "Advanced Paediatric Life Support," for a child's blood pressure are reflected in the table below:
Age (years) Systolic Blood Pressure (mm Hg)
less than 1 70 - 90
1 to 2 80 to 95
2 to 5 80 to 100
5 to 12 90 to 110
over 12 100 to 120
What Numbers Reflect Normal Pulse In Children?
Pulse equals the number of times your child's heart beats per minute. You can learn to check your child's pulse at home. Using your index or middle finger, feel at your child's wrist at the base of the thumb, at the neck on either side of the windpipe, or in babies on the inside part of the arm just above the elbow. Count the number of beats in 15 seconds and multiply by 4 to get the child's pulse. If you have trouble feeling the pulse, have your pediatrician show how to do this at your next visit. Do not use your thumb to check the pulse, because it contains a large artery; you will likely feel your own pulse, not your child's.
The table below shows normal pulse values in children, according to "Advanced Paediatric Life Support":
Age (years) Heart Rate (beats per minute)
less than 1 110 to 160
1 to 2 100 to 150
2 to 5 95 to 140
5 to 12 80 to 120
more than 12 60 to 100
What Does A Child's Normal Blood Pressure Tell Us?
A child's normal blood pressure indicates that his blood volume is adequate to carry oxygen throughout his body. A low systolic reading in a child can point to possible dehydration or blood loss. A high blood pressure might appear with kidney problems or obesity and shows that the child has too much fluid in her vascular system. Blood pressure also rises with exercise and anxiety. Blood pressure should be taken as part of a complete assessment, including symptoms, if any; activity level; and emotional state.
What Does A Child's Normal Pulse Tell Us?
A child's pulse indicates how effectively the heart pumps blood throughout his body. If the pulse is normal, the child's heart is pumping an adequate amount of blood in an efficient manner. A rapid pulse can mean your child is dehydrated or in shock and, like high blood pressure, needs evaluation in the context of the child's activity, anxiety level and symptoms. A slow pulse can indicate some types of poisons and may be caused by medications as well. A very relaxed or sleeping child will normally have a slower pulse than a child who is awake, so don't worry if his heart rate is slower when he's sleeping.
Why Are Normal Blood Pressure And Pulse Different In Children Of Different Ages?
Blood pressure and pulse values vary by age, because children's bodies are smaller when they are younger. An infant has a smaller heart, less total blood volume, and a smaller body mass than an older child does. As the child grows, so does the heart and the body, and total blood volume also increases. Age guidelines may not apply perfectly to all kids; body size has more importance than chronological age. A very large 3-year-old may have a pulse and blood pressure similar to that of a very small 5-year-old.
Expert Analysis
Blood pressure and pulse are useful parts of a physical examination and can indicate a child's cardiac health status and fluid volume status. These reading must be used as part of a comprehensive, complete physical assessment that takes into account the child's age, size, and circumstances at the time of the examination. Next time you visit the pediatrician's office with your child, you can use this knowledge to interpret the numbers you hear and be confident that you understand them.
References
- Normal Blood Pressure And Heart Rate In Children
- "Advanced Paediatric Life Support"; Advanced Life Support Group; Blackwell Publishing Group; 2005
