Role Of The Funding Source
The sponsors of the study had no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, writing of the report or the decision to submit the paper for publication. SF had full access to all the data in the study, and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.
Is It An Emergency
If you or someone in your care has chest pains, difficulty breathing, or severe bleeding, it could be a life-threatening emergency. Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number immediately.
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Factors That Can Affect Resting Heart Rate
In addition to age, a few other factors can affect your resting heart rate.
- Temperature. Your heart rate may increase slightly when youre exposed to hot temperatures.
- Medication side effects. Medications, like beta-blockers, can lower your resting heart rate.
- Emotions. If youre anxious or excited, your heart rate may increase.
- Weight. People with obesity may have a higher resting heart rate. This is because the heart has to work harder to supply the body with blood.
- Anemia. In anemia, low levels of red blood cells can cause the heart to beat faster in order to supply your body with oxygen-rich blood.
- Endocrine or hormonal abnormalities. Abnormal levels of some hormones can influence heart rate. For example, too much thyroid hormone can increase heart rate while too little thyroid hormone can decrease heart rate.
- Postural tachycardia syndrome . This syndrome produces an abnormal increase in heart rate after sitting up or standing. In addition to heart palpitations, some typical symptoms of PoTS include dizziness and fainting.
- Body positioning. Heart rate can increase temporarily when you move from a sitting to a standing position.
- Smoking. Smokers tend to have a higher resting heart rate. Quitting smoking can help bring it back down. This is often difficult, but a doctor can help build a cessation plan that works for you.
Your maximum heart rate is a calculation that helps you figure out what your ideal target heart rate is during exercise.
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What Is Your Pulse
When your heart beats it pushes blood around your body. This heartbeat can be felt as your pulse on your wrist or neck
Your pulse is measured by counting the number of times your heart beats in one minute. For example, if your heart contracts 72 times in one minute, your pulse would be 72 beats per minute . This is also called your heart rate.
A normal pulse beats in a steady, regular rhythm. However, in some people this rhythm is uneven, or jumps about. This is known as an irregular pulse.
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Listening To Your Baby’s Heartbeat
A major part of midwifery care during labour is listening to and recording your babys heartbeat to help identify if there are any problems.
Most babies come through labour without any problems, but there are a few babies who run into difficulties. The best way of finding out which babies are having trouble is to listen to every babys heartbeat regularly throughout labour.
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Tips For Lowering Your Resting Heart Rate
When your resting heart rate is in the normal heart rate range for your age, your heart muscle doesnt have to work as hard to pump enough blood to keep a steady beat.
If someone notices an increase in their heart rate within a certain periodafter not being physically active for a year or two, for examplebut other things havent changed much with their health, the elevated heart rate could indicate they may need to be more active to lower the heart rate, says Dr. Tilahun.
If your resting heart rate is higher than the normal adult heart rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute, regular activity is key to bringing the heart rate down. That activity could be exercise, but it doesnt have to be dedicated exercise. It could be walking, gardening, mowing the lawn or other regular activities, says Tilahun.
When youre doing the activity, the heart rate is going to be higher, and people sometimes get worried. But thats not an issueits whats supposed to happen. Over time, regular activity will lower the heart rate for most people, he adds.
When Is Sex Determined
Your babys sex is set as soon as the sperm meets the egg. Sex is determined at conception, before you even know youre pregnant. The genitals wont develop for some time, but your little one inherits either an X or Y chromosome.
In most cases, little girls carry an XX pattern of genetic information, while little boys carry an XY.
You might also be surprised to learn that your babys genitals dont develop immediately. In fact, boys and girls look relatively the same four to six weeks after gestation. They start to differ between 10 and 20 weeks.
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Advice To Parents Or Carers For Home Care Of The Child
- Antipyretic treatment: tepid sponging is not recommended. Do not underdress or over-wrap children. Give either paracetamol or ibuprofen for discomfort or distress but not for the sole reason of reducing the temperature. One agent can be changed for the other if the child does not respond. If distress persists or recurs before the next dose is due, the agents can be alternated. Do not use both agents simultaneously. Advise parents that antipyretic agents do not prevent febrile convulsions and should not be used specifically for this purpose.
- Give regular fluids: breast milk if the child is breastfed.
- Monitor for signs of dehydration: sunken fontanelle or eyes, dry mouth, absence of tears, poor appearance, reduced urinary output.
- Monitor for appearance of rash: advise on how to assess if a rash is non-blanching.
- Get up in the night to monitor the child.
- Keep the child away from school or nursery while they have a fever and notify them.
- When to seek further help: if the child has a seizure, develops a non-blanching rash, appears less well than when they were last assessed by a healthcare professional, the parent or carer is worried, the fever lasts > 5 days, the parent or carer is distressed or feels they cannot look after the child.
- Provide written information: give the parent or carer an appropriate advice sheet .
When To Call Your Pediatrician
A very fast or slow heart rate can be a medical emergency, especially if your child has any symptoms associated with it, such as:
Seek medical attention right away in this situation.
It’s also important to talk to your pediatrician if your child always seems to be at either the upper or lower limits of normal. For example, tell your child’s doctor if:
- Your child is at the low end of the age range for their pulse rate, even when running around and playing.
- They are always at the upper end of normal for their pulse rate, even when sleeping.
A heart rate above the upper limit of normal may be a sign of an underlying heart condition. It could also be a clue to other problems in the body, such as an infection or a metabolic condition.
In addition to the pulse rate , the rhythm of the pulse can also be regular or irregular. An irregular heart rate can signal a heart problem.
It’s a good idea to contact your pediatrician if you think your child’s pulse feels erratic or unsteady, especially if it happens often or lasts a long time.
Any type of abnormal heart ratewhether in the rate or rhythmis called arrhythmia. Not all arrhythmias are a cause for concern. Some are harmless, but others may require medical treatment.
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How The Test Is Performed
The pulse can be measured at areas where an artery passes close to the skin. These areas include the:
- Back of the knees
- Top or inner side of the foot
To measure the pulse at the wrist, place the index and middle finger over the underside of the opposite wrist, below the base of the thumb. Press with flat fingers until you feel the pulse.
To measure the pulse on the neck, place the index and middle fingers just to the side of the Adam’s apple, in the soft, hollow area. Press gently until you locate the pulse.
Note: Sit or lie down before taking the neck pulse. The neck arteries in some people are sensitive to pressure. Fainting or slowing of the heartbeat can result. Also, do not take the pulses on both sides of the neck at the same time. Doing so can slow the flow of blood to the head and lead to fainting.
Once you find the pulse, count the beats for 1 full minute. Or, count the beats for 30 seconds and multiply by 2. This will give the beats per minute.
Other Types Of Serious Tachycardia In Children
Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome
Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome, also called the WPW syndrome, is named after the three scientists who discovered the presence of an unusual conduction pathway that connects the ventricles to the atria. The presence of such a pathway leads to a quicker arrival of electrical signals than normal at ventricles.
The WPW syndrome usually shows no symptoms though people with the condition remain under the threat of an abrupt cardiac arrest. The condition can be diagnosed through an ECG. Treatment through medications often proves effective for WPW syndrome. In cases where medications dont work, more tests are required with the main option being the removal of the pathway via surgery.
Ventricular Tachycardia
Ventricular Tachycardia is a rather rare condition which can be life-threatening in children. It starts in the lower chambers and the main cause of VT is often a severe heart disease.
Specialized tests, like intracardiac electrophysiological procedure, are done in order to understand the severity of the tachycardia. In some cases of VT, there is no treatment required. When treatment is needed, the medications often target the root cause and once the cause gets treated, VT goes away on its own. In cases where medications prove ineffectual, surgery or radiofrequency ablation becomes necessary.
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What’s A Normal Heart Rate
Heart rate is measured by counting the number of beats per minute. Someone’s normal heart rate depends on things like the person’s age and whether they lead an active lifestyle.
The resting heart rate decreases as kids get older. Typical normal resting heart rate ranges are:
- babies : 100150 beats per minute
- kids 13 years old: 70110 beats per minute
- kids by age 12: 5585 beats per minute
A doctor can determine whether a heart rate is abnormally fast or slow, depending on a person’s situation. An older child or adult with a slow heart rate, for example, might have symptoms when the heart rate drops below 50 beats per minute. But trained athletes have a lower resting heart rate, so a slow heart rate in them isn’t considered abnormal if it causes no symptoms.
What Is Resting Heart Rate
Your resting heart rate is how many times your heart beats in one minute while youre at rest. Its both a gauge of your heart health and a biomarker of aging.
RHR changes as you age and varies from person to person. Its important to know your RHR as it can help you assess your heart health over time. Being aware of changes in your RHR can help you uncover a heart condition early.
Resting Heart Rate Versus HRV and Blood Pressure
Resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and blood pressure are all important measures of heart health.
- Resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute.
- Heart rate variability is a measure of the variation in the time between consecutive heartbeats.
- Blood pressure is the force of blood flowing through your blood vessels .
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How To Check The Heart Rate Of Your Child
It is simple to measure the pulse of your child. There are multiple places on the body where the pulse can be checked, including the side of the neck, inside the elbow, and the wrist. The wrist would be the easiest and most accessible place for most parents. For checking the heart rate of your child, you need to place your fingers on their wrist and apply pressure gently until you start feeling the pulse against your fingertips. You can count the beats for 15 seconds. The heart rate of your child would be 4 times that number. Finding the pulse in infants and younger children is harder and you might need the help of a medical professional to take the pulse of your child.
What Causes Heart Arrhythmias In Newborns
In many cases, the actual cause of neonatal arrhythmia is unknown.
Certain factors are associated with a higher risk of arrhythmia in newborns. Some factors are temporary and easily treatable. Others may require long-term care.
Among the more common risk factors for neonatal arrhythmias are:
- congenital structural difference
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Who Is At A Risk Of Developing Arrhythmia
Arrhythmia is more common in children with congenital heart diseases, narrow heart valves, family history of arrhythmia and other heart disorders. In the case of teenagers, lifestyle habits such as alcohol consumption, smoking, and illegal drug usage can also cause Arrhythmias.
Medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes, , sleep apnea, etc. may also increase the risk of Arrhythmias.
Other things, such as heart surgeries, medications, or imbalance of certain chemicals, such as potassium in the body, can also lead to irregular heart rate in children. .
Who Should Monitor Fetal Heart Rate
A stethoscope or fetoscope can be used by anyone after 20 or 22 weeks of pregnancy. However, it can take some practice to hear the heartbeat using this method, especially if the baby is moving around. Additionally, you may have difficulty detecting the heart rate even when the baby is perfectly fine.
While handheld fetal Dopplers are available over the counter, it is best to consult your healthcare provider before using one. They really aren’t intended for home monitoring.
Occasional use of Dopplers by a healthcare provider is considered safe. However, extensive use at home could lead to unanticipated negative consequences. For example, if it is difficult to find the heartbeat using a Doppler before 16 weeks. This may cause unnecessary worry for parents. Conversely, hearing a fetal heart rate by home Doppler in certain situations may provide a false sense of security when medical attention is actually needed.
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Assessment Of The Child Using The National Institute For Health And Care Excellence Traffic Light System
NICE recommends that a traffic light system should be used to predict the risk of serious illness when the symptoms and signs have been elicited from the history and examination. Allowance should be made for individual disabilities when assessing learning-disabled children.The following table summarises this system. If the child has any of the symptoms or signs in the amber column, they are at intermediate risk of serious illness. If they have any of the symptoms or signs in the red column they are at high risk of serious illness. Children with symptoms or signs in the green column and none in the red or amber column are at low risk of serious illness. Management of fever should be guided by the level of risk.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence CG160 Feverish illness in children. London: NICE. Available from www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG1607Reproduced with permission originally from National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence CG 47 Feverish illness in children: assessment and initial management in children younger than 5 years.
What Is A Target Heart Rate
According to the AHA , your target heart rate during moderate-intensity activities is about 50 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. Vigorous physical activity should result in about 70 to 85 percent of your maximum.
So for 35-year-olds, a goal target heart rate is between 93 and 157 bpm .
The table below shows the target heart rate range and average maximum heart rate for different ages, based on information from the AHA.
| Age |
- being an older adult
- problems with the conduction system of the heart
Borderline or occasional bradycardia may not need treatment. But prolonged bradycardia, or bradycardia thats not treated, can become more serious.
Certain underlying conditions are typically the true decider of what a dangerous heart rate is. If youre already living with heart disease, heart failure, or a history of heart disease and notice a fluctuation in your heart rate, you should go to the doctor as soon as you can, as it could be a sign of a serious complication.
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Heart Rate In Children
Tachycardia in adult is defined as a pulse rate of > 100 beats per minute.
An abnormally fast pulse has various possible causes:
- sinus tachycardia – the rhythm is normal
- cardiac arrhythmias causing tachycardia where the rhythm is not normal
Tachycardia in a child varies depending on the age of a child . For example a pulse rate of 130 in a 10 year old is tachycardia but not in a 1 year old.
Heart rate by age :
| Age | Heart rate |
| < 1 |
- 1) Paediatric Assessment. University of Southampton NHS Hospitals Trust
Last reviewed 04/2022