Normal Heart Rate for Children

Heart rate is the measure of heartbeats per unit of time. The value is expressed as beats per minute (BPM). This measure is one of the many essential requirements to keep a check on the performance of the heart. In children and adults, if the heart rate measures more or too less than what is attributed as normal, then something can be suspected to be amiss in the body. Also for your information, normal pulse can also be referred to as resting pulse. It is nothing but the measure of the number of times the heart beats per minute, when the person is in a complete relaxed state; physically and mentally. Experts say, the best time to measure the resting pulse is in the morning, 5-10 minutes after waking up.

Measure of Normal Heart Rate for Children By Age

Age	BPM
Newborn	110 - 160
1 - 2 years	100 - 150
2 - 5 years	95 - 140
5 - 12 years	80 - 120
More than 12 years	60 - 100

# As you can see from the pulse rate chart, the heartbeats per minute tend to decrease from infancy to childhood. It should be understood that an abnormally speeding pulse is known as tachycardia, and an abnormally slow one is known as bradycardia. In children with fever, the pulse is usually higher than what is normal. It is the body's natural response to fever of increasing the heart rate, apart from breathing rate and blood circulation in the skin. These responses help the body to beat the heat that has been caused by the fever. If we speak of normal pulse during exercise or any activity like playing outdoor games, then this one cannot be regarded as resting pulse for, the person is not at a state of rest. In this case, the measure would again be higher than what is provided in the table. This is because, the heart has to work faster in response to the workout.

# Apart from knowing about the normal pulse in children, it is beneficial to know about the breathing rate as well. A high breathing rate is usually an indication of a heart condition. The normal measures are:

• For infants (less than a year) - 30 to 40 breaths per minute
• For children from 1 to 2 years - 25 to 35 breaths per minute
• 2 to 5 years - 25 to 30 breaths per minute.
• 5 to 12 - 20 to 25
• Kids above 12 years of age - 15 to 20

What Factors Can Affect Normal Heart Rate?

There could be a myriad of factors that are known to affect normal pulse. Common ones include size, and position of the body, emotion, certain medication, activity level, and illness.

How to Get the Measure?

Simply place the tips of your index and middle finger below your child's jaw near the windpipe, and locate the pulse. It may take you more than a try to sense it. Now all you have to do is measure the heartbeats for a minute.

To conclude, heart rate, as already mentioned, is one 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. And this is what that makes it important to monitor your heart rate regularly, and keep it in normal range.