Clinical exam · General exam and vital signs
Vital signs in children: how they change with age !
- Topic
The younger the child, the faster the pulse and breathing and the lower the blood pressure; normal depends on age.
Updated 2026-11-01
What it is
Normal vital signs change with age: the newborn has the highest heart and respiratory rates and the lowest blood pressure, approaching adult values in adolescence. Reading a child's vital sign without knowing their age leads to errors. Tachycardia and tachypnea are early signs of serious illness; hypotension is late.
Key facts
- Normal temperature in children: 36.4 to 37.5 °C.
- Normal oxygen saturation at any age: 95 to 100%.
Step by step
- Measure with the child calm, ideally held by the caregiver; count breathing first, before disturbing the child.
- Count breaths by watching the abdomen for a full minute.
- In infants count the apical pulse with the stethoscope for one minute; in older children, the radial pulse.
- Temperature: rectal or axillary in infants; axillary, tympanic or oral depending on age.
- Choose a cuff covering about two thirds of the upper arm and measure blood pressure.
- Read each value against the table for age and record the child's state (crying, asleep, febrile).
Reference values by age (OpenStax, Fundamentals of Nursing, table 7.1). These are reference ranges, not treatment thresholds.
| Age | Heart rate (bpm) | Respiratory rate (breaths/min) | Systolic pressure (mmHg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newborn | 100 to 205 | 30 to 60 | 67 to 84 |
| Infant (1 to 12 months) | 100 to 180 | 30 to 53 | 70 at birth to 90 at one year |
| Toddler (1 to 3 years) | 98 to 140 | 22 to 37 | 86 to 106 |
| Preschool (3 to 5 years) | 80 to 120 | 20 to 28 | 89 to 112 |
| School age (6 to 9 years) | 75 to 118 | 18 to 25 | 97 to 115 |
| Preadolescent (10 to 12 years) | 75 to 118 | 18 to 25 | 102 to 120 |
| Adolescent (12 to 17 years) | 60 to 100 | 12 to 20 | 110 to 131 |
| Adult | 60 to 100 | 12 to 20 | 90 to 120 |
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Why is hypotension a late sign of shock in children?
Because children compensate with strong tachycardia and vasoconstriction and hold their pressure until a lot of volume is lost.
What is the normal respiratory rate of a newborn?
Between 30 and 60 breaths per minute, depending on the reference table used.
Why is breathing counted first in an infant?
Because crying and handling raise the respiratory rate; it is counted while the infant is calm.
What happens if an adult cuff is used on a child?
The pressure reads falsely low because the cuff is too large for the arm.
Related
- Vital signs: what they are and how to record them
- Pediatric history: perinatal, growth, development and vaccines
- Pain assessment and pain scales
- Capillary refill time
Related conditions
Educational content on the clinical exam; it is learned and practised under supervision. It does not replace assessment by a health professional and is not for self-diagnosis.
Sources: 7.1 Indicators of Physiologic Functioning - Fundamentals of Nursing | OpenStax (OpenStax, Rice University, 2024); Fever: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia (U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus), 2025); Dehydration in Children - Pediatrics - MSD Manual Professional Edition (Merck & Co. (MSD Manual Professional Edition), 2025).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.