The heart rate is one of your body's vital signs, indicating its level of functioning. A normal heart rate varies, depending on your age and circumstances. Newborn babies have faster heart rates than adults, and those with heart conditions or people who are physically active may have heart rates that vary in speed and intensity. A child who is 15 months old has a heart rate that is slower than a newborn baby but is still faster than that of an adult.
Heart Rate
A heart rate is how many times the heart beats over the course of a minute. Each beat that occurs when checking a pulse is the contraction of the heart muscle as it pushes blood into the circulatory system to receive oxygen and to travel to the body's tissues. According to the University of Chicago, the normal heart rate for a child of 15 months is between 90 and 165 beats per minute.
Arrhythmias
An arrhythmia occurs when the heart does not beat in a regular rhythm. Among children who are 15 months old, an arrhythmia may happen infrequently or it may be an ongoing occurrence. Some children are born with a congenital heart condition and have a heart arrhythmia which may be present at 15 months of age. Children who have an irregular heartbeat may or may not show symptoms, such as lethargy, weakness or shortness of breath. In some situations, a 15-month-old child has a heart rate within the normal range for her age, but it is beating at an irregular pattern. A doctor can determine if your child has a heart arrhythmia initially by listening to the heartbeat or taking a pulse to determine what the pattern is.
Variations
Tachycardia occurs when the heart beats faster than a normal rate. A child who is 15 months old and has a heart rate greater than 165 beats per minute can be considered to have tachycardia. This situation is typically transient, and a child's heart rate can increase above normal due to situations such as stress, crying or high levels of activity. Following the episode, the heart rate should return to normal limits. Bradycardia occurs when the heart beats at a slower pace than normal. This situation can also occur with a 15-month-old while sleeping. Your doctor can tell you if your child's heart rate is too fast or too slow for her age.
Considerations
You can check the heart rate of your 15-month-old child by taking a pulse. Place two fingers in the inside of her upper arm, between the elbow and the shoulder. Once you feel a heartbeat with your fingers count for 30 seconds, and then multiply that number times two, and this is the child's heart rate. Avoid using your thumb to check for a heartbeat, as the thumb has a pulse of its own. Contact your doctor if your child's heart rate seems unusually fast, slow or irregular, or if she is having symptoms of weakness, shortness of breath or discoloration around the lips and nailbeds.
