Vital Signs in Children
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 bpm footnote 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
Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer John Pope, MD, MPH - Pediatrics
David Messenger, BSc, MD, FRCPC, FCCP - Emergency Medicine, Critical Care Medicine
Current as ofNovember 20, 2017
Current as of:
November 20, 2017
Author:
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Susan C. Kim, MD - Pediatrics & Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine & Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine & John Pope, MD, MPH - Pediatrics & David Messenger, BSc, MD, FRCPC, FCCP - Emergency Medicine, Critical Care Medicine
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.
