Resting heart rate in children is different from that of adults. A healthy heart rate can be anywhere between min 60 – 90 and max 150 – 200. However, the resting heart rate range for children varies with their growing age and height.
The heart rate of children is rarely checked and given due importance, and it is taken for granted that their heart rate will be normal. Since they do not do a job and are not affected by other factors in life such as stress, keeping a tab on children’s heartbeats is often given a skip by parents and guardians. Undoubtedly, children are carefree souls and might not suffer from any heart disease or disorder, but there can be a possibility of missing heartbeats, also known as skipped heartbeats or high/low blood pressure.
Some Facts
✔ Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood, flowing in the blood vessels, against its walls. During each heartbeat, it alters between a maximum (systolic) and minimum (diastolic) pressure.
✔ Resting heart rate is the frequency of systolic and diastolic pressure or the number of times your heart beats per minute when you are at rest.
✔ The normal resting heart rate for children or anyone for that matter should be calculated when they get up in the morning before starting any kind of activity.
✔ Healthy heart rate of an adult is around 60 – 80, whereas kids have varying blood pressure. The normal heart rate differs from person to person and depends on factors, like one’s fitness level, weight, general lifestyle, gender, amount of physical exertion, etc. That’s why, the heart rate in children differs every single year as they grow.
✔ Apart from the usage of a stethoscope and sphygmomanometer (an equipment used to monitor blood pressure which has an inflatable band that is tied around the upper arm and is connected to an equipment which has mercury), one can measure the heartbeat by checking the pulse rate.
✔ Areas where the arteries are close to the skin, like the inner wrist (just below an inch of the palm), side of the neck, groin, top of the foot, etc., are preferred to check the rate of the heart.
✔ You can also count your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply it by six or keep counting till a minute is over and that will give you your pulse rate along with the detection of any irregularity in the beats. The latter is more advisable as skipped heart beats can be detected, if any.
✔ The different places from where you are measure the heartbeats have different terminologies. For example, measuring of heart beats per minute from your wrist and neck region are called radial and carotid pulse respectively.
The following table mentions the average resting heart rate in boys and girls in the age group of three to twelve. The readings here are the normal systolic pressure at 5th percentile of height and 95th percentile of blood pressure.
| Resting Heart Rate for BOYS | ||
| AGE (years) | Systolic Range | Diastolic Range |
| 3 | 104 – 113 | 63 – 67 |
| 4 | 106 – 115 | 66 – 71 |
| 5 | 108 – 116 | 69 – 74 |
| 6 | 109 – 117 | 72 – 76 |
| 7 | 110 – 119 | 74 – 78 |
| 8 | 111 – 120 | 75 – 80 |
| 9 | 113 – 121 | 76 – 81 |
| 10 | 114 – 123 | 77 – 82 |
| 11 | 116 – 125 | 78 – 83 |
| 12 | 119 – 127 | 79 – 83 |
| Resting Heart Rate for GIRLS | ||
| AGE (years) | Systolic Range | Diastolic Range |
| 3 | 104 – 110 | 65 – 68 |
| 4 | 105 – 111 | 67 – 71 |
| 5 | 107 – 113 | 69 – 73 |
| 6 | 108 – 114 | 71 – 75 |
| 7 | 110 – 116 | 73 – 76 |
| 8 | 112 – 118 | 74 – 78 |
| 9 | 114 – 120 | 75 – 79 |
| 10 | 116 – 122 | 77 – 80 |
| 11 | 118 – 124 | 78 – 83 |
| 12 | 120 – 126 | 79 – 82 |
Here, it is important to note that since children are highly moody and restless, it is very normal for their heartbeats to rise above the normal pulse rate at different times of the day. So, do not panic and keep a regular tab on your child’s heart rate.
Disclaimer: This article is for informative purposes only and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.
