Heart rate is the measure of heartbeats per unit of time. The following article provides information on the normal heart rate for children.
Heart rate is expressed as beats per minute (BPM). Also referred to as pulse, it can help the doctors evaluate the condition of an individual’s heart. Abnormally high or low pulse indicates that something is amiss in the body. Resting pulse is the measure of the number of times the heart beats per minute, when the person is in a complete relaxed state. Experts say that the best time to measure the resting pulse is around 5 – 10 minutes after waking up in the morning.
Heart Rate for Kids
To calculate the pulse, simply place the tips of your index and middle finger below your child’s jaw near the windpipe, and locate the pulse. Once you sense it, all you have to do is measure the heartbeats for a period of one minute.
| Age | BPM |
| Newborn | 100 – 160 |
| 1 – 2 years | 80 – 130 |
| 2 – 5 years | 80 – 120 |
| 5 – 12 years | 70 – 110 |
| More than 12 years | 60 – 100 |
# As you can see from the table, the pulse tends to decrease from infancy to childhood. While an abnormally rapid heartbeat is known as tachycardia, an abnormally slow one is known as bradycardia. When the child is not in a state of rest, the readings would be higher than the aforementioned readings. This is because the heart has to work faster in response to the workout. The pulse is usually higher than normal in case of children with fever. The body responds to fever by increasing the heart rate, breathing rate, and blood circulation in the skin. These responses help the body to beat the heat that has been caused by the fever.
# Here’s some information about the breathing rate as well. A consistently high breathing rate is usually an indication of a heart condition. The normal readings are:
- For infants under the age of one year – 30 to 40 breaths per minute
- Children in the age group of 1 to 2 years – 25 to 35 breaths per minute
- Children in the age group of 2 to 5 years – 25 to 30 breaths per minute.
- Children in the age group of 5 to 12 years – 20 to 25 breaths per minute
- Kids above 12 years of age – 15 to 20 breaths per minute
There could be a myriad of factors that could affect normal pulse. Common ones include size, and position of the body, emotion, the use of medication, activity level, and illness.
Heart rate is an important tool to determine the state of your health. The level at which the heart has to work to cope up with the physical demand of various activities, is an important indicant of your physical condition. Therefore, monitor it regularly, and follow all the necessary precautionary measures to keep it in the normal range.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is solely for educating the reader. It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of a medical expert.
