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Vital Signs in Children

Vital Signs in Children

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

  1. 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

Current as of: March 9, 2022

Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Susan C. Kim MD - Pediatrics
Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
John Pope MD - Pediatrics
David Messenger MD - Emergency Medicine, Critical Care Medicine

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