Vital Signs in Children
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Topic Overview
What are vital signs?
Vital signs include heart rate, respiration (breathing rate), blood pressure, and temperature. Knowing the ranges for vital signs for your child can help you notice problems early or relieve concerns you may have about how your child is doing. The table below includes information that can help.
Normal ranges for vital signs | Vital Sign | Infant | Child | Pre-Teen/Teen |
|---|
| | 0 to 12 months | 1 to 11 years | 12 and up |
Heart Rate | 100 to 160 beats per minute (bpm) | 70 to 120 bpm | 60 to 100 bpm |
Respiration (breaths) | 0 to 6 months 30 to 60 breaths per minute (bpm) 6 to 12 months 24 to 30 bpm | 1 to 5 years 20 to 30 (bpm) 6 to 11 years 12 to 20 bpm | 12 to 18 bpmfootnote 1 |
Blood Pressure (systolic/diastolic)footnote 1 | 0 to 6 months 65 to 90/45 to 65 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) 6 to 12 months 80 to 100/55 to 65 mm Hg | 90 to 110/55 to 75 mm Hg | 110 to 135/65 to 85 mm Hg |
|---|
Temperature | All ages 98.6 F (normal range is 97.4 F to 99.6 F) | All ages 98.6 F (normal range is 97.4 F to 99.6 F) | All ages 98.6 F (normal range is 97.4 F to 99.6 F) |
|---|
Learn more
Learn more about how to take your child's temperature, take a pulse, measure blood pressure, and count breaths with these topics:
References
Citations
- Harman M, et al. (2011). Pediatric emergency and resuscitation. In RM Kliegman et al., eds., Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 19th ed., p. 280. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.
Credits
ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer Susan C. Kim, MD - Pediatrics
Specialist Medical Reviewer John Pope, MD - Pediatrics
David Messenger, MD
Current as ofMarch 20, 2017
Current as of:
March 20, 2017
Harman M, et al. (2011). Pediatric emergency and resuscitation. In RM Kliegman et al., eds., Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 19th ed., p. 280. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.
