A Summary Of Pediatric Bp Categories Stages And Follow
- The table was recreated from the articles listed below. Given that there were slight variations in BP values, we elected to include both percentiles and BP ranges.
|
Elevated or persistent or pre-HTN |
90th to 95th percentile or 120/80 mm Hg to < 95th percentile |
Consider school or home BP monitoring |
|---|---|---|
|
Stage 1 HTN |
> 95th to 99th percentile + 5 mmHg or 130-139/89 mm Hg |
Evaluate in 1 week to 1 month |
|
Stage 2 HTN |
> 99th percentile + 5 mm Hg or > /=140/90 mm Hg |
Evaluate in 1 week or sooner if symptomatic |
|
White-coat HTN |
> 95th percentile in a medical setting. Normal outside the medical setting |
Consider ABPM as well as home or school BP monitoring |
|
Masked HTN |
< 95th percentile in a medical setting. > 95th percentile outside a medical setting |
Consider ABPM in high-risk patients. |
What Affects Heart Rate In Children
Heart rate in children can be higher than normal for many of the same reasons it can happen in adults, such as:
A very fast heart rate can signal heart rhythm problems. If your childs heart rate is too fast to count, thats a sign to seek medical care.
A low heart rate can be normal for active or athletic children. But it also can indicate a possible heart rhythm issue. If youre concerned or have questions, talk to your pediatrician.
Evaluation Of An Abnormal Heart Rate
If your pediatrician is concerned about your childs heart rate, they may order tests to see if there is an underlying heart abnormality. For example, in addition to your child’s pulse, your doctor may also check their blood pressure and order an electrocardiogram .
The ECG allows your doctor to not only verify your childs heart rate, but also the rhythm, or electrical activity, of the heart. It can also provide clues on whether the heart is enlarged or working too hard.
In addition to heart problems, your doctor may also do blood tests, such as a complete blood count or a thyroid test, to check for underlying infections and conditions like anemia or hyperthyroidism that can affect your child’s heart rate.
In some instances, your doctor may refer you to a pediatric cardiologist, a specialist in heart conditions for children.
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What Is An Arrhythmia
An is an abnormal heartbeat. The heart normally beats in a regular rhythm, but an arrhythmia can make it beat too slowly, too quickly, or irregularly. This erratic pumping can lead to a variety of symptoms, including tiredness, dizziness, and chest pain.
Many arrhythmias don’t need medical care, but some can pose a health problem and need to be checked and treated by a doctor.
Childhood Obesity And Its Effects On Blood Pressure
- It is noteworthy that the increasing prevalence of obesity in the United States has not only affected adults but also children. As a result, population-based studies of pediatric weight will vary according to the period to time sampled – and will also affect – the prevalence of sleep apnea with its related impact on hypertension.
- The prevalence of childhood obesity has significantly increased since 1980 with approximately 30% of children who are overweight/obese .
- Children with high BMI are more likely to develop hypertension later in life compared to children with lower BMI
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When Heart Rate Is Low
A heart rate that is considered too low is called bradycardia. This typically refers to a heart rate lower than 60 beats per minute for adults.
A low heart rate is not always abnormal. In fact, it can even be a sign of physical fitness.
For example, if you are an endurance athlete, your heart probably works very efficiently. Your normal heart rate could be closer to 40 or 50 beats per minuteâor even lower. This means that your heart doesn’t have to pump as fast to deliver oxygen to the rest of your body.
Bradycardia can also be a symptom of underlying medical conditions, however. Low heart rate can occur when electrical impulses don’t travel along correct paths in the heart or when the structures that generate these electrical impulsesâcalled nodesâare damaged.
Low heart rate can also occur with heart disease, heart attack, and other medical conditions such as hypothyroidism .
Symptoms of bradycardia are similar to those caused by a high heart rate. These can include:
- Shortness of breath
How Can I Check My Child’s Heart Rate
Measuring your child’s pulse is easy. There are several places on the body where you can check the pulse including the wrist, inside the elbow or the side of the neck. For most parents, the wrist is the easiest, most accessible place. To check your child’s heart rate, place two fingers on their wrist, below their thumb. Apply gentle pressure until you can feel a slight beat against your fingertips. Count how many beats you feel in 15 seconds. Then multiply that number by 4 to determine your child’s heart rate, which is measured in beats per minute.
For instance, if you feel 20 beats in 15 seconds, your child’s heart rate is 80 beats per minute, a normal rate.
However, you may not be able to easily find a pulse in infants or younger children who have smaller blood vessels. A medical professional with experience in caring for children will likely need to take their pulse.
“If you’re not familiar with taking a pulse, it may take a few tries until you become more comfortable and confident,” says Dr. Kane. “The best thing to do if you are concerned is to have a person with medical training check it for you.”
If your child has a heart condition requiring heart rate monitoring, your doctor can teach you how to find their pulse and take their heart rate. Some wearable devices and smartphones can also read the heart rate with good accuracy.
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How To Lower 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 Heart Rate Is Too High
Having a heart rate that’s considered too high is called tachycardia. In general, tachycardia refers to a heart rate that is above 100 beats per minute. Tachycardia can be dangerous, but isn’t always.
There are different types of tachycardia. A higher heart rate naturally occurs when you’re exercising, for example. You can also experience tachycardia during scary or stressful events, if you consume a lot of caffeine, or if you are a heavy smoker.
Tachycardia can also occur when the electrical signals in your heart that cause it to beat are firing abnormally. Because your heart is beating faster than it should, it can’t fill back up completely. As a result, less blood is delivered to the rest of your body.
In some cases, tachycardia does not cause any symptoms. In others, it can cause:
- Nausea/vomiting
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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 conditionssuch as obesity, diabetes, sepsis, 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. .
Measure Your Child’s Pulse
You will know you have found your child’s pulse when you feel a throbbing or beating. Once you find it, count the number of beats in a 60-second period.
Alternatively, you can count the number of beats you feel in 30 seconds and then multiply that number by two.
Use a clock with a second hand, a stopwatch, or the timer on a cell phone to track the time. You might also want to use a phone app that measures the pulse. These often require you to place a finger on the camera lens for the measurement, so they may not be a good choice for young children who have a hard time holding still.
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Centiles Of Normal Respiratory Rate
The 1st to 99th centiles of respiratory rate in normal children from birth to 18 years of age are displayed in Figure 2. These demonstrate the decline in respiratory rate from birth to early adolescence, with the steepest decline apparent in infants during the first two years of life. The median respiratory rate decreases by 40% in these two years . Web Table 4 presents the proposed cut-offs for respiratory rate at each of 13 age groups from birth to 18 years of age.
Centiles of respiratory rate for normal children from birth to 18 years of age
The subgroup analysis of the respiratory rate data showed no significant differences based on the type of study setting , level of economic development of the country in which it was carried out , wakefulness of the child , or whether manual or automated methods of measurement were used . Regression analysis on the dates of publication did not show any significant difference in measured respiratory rate .
Comparison of respiratory rate centiles with paediatric reference ranges from the Advanced Paediatric Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support guidelines.
When To See A Doctor About Your Heart Rate
If a higher heart rate is a result of being under stress or consuming a lot of alcohol or caffeine, thats not typically a cause for alarm. However, these situations still warrant a discussion with your clinician, as they can discuss with you how to best address any necessary lifestyle changes.
Meanwhile, adults without an acute condition that might cause an elevated heart rate may also want to contact their doctor if their resting heart rate remains above 100 beats per minute for a few days, says Dr. Tilahun.
If the heart rate is persistently elevated for more than a few days and there is absence of a clear thing that can explain it, that should be a time to talk to your doctor, he says.
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Diagnosing The Underlying Cause
Your doctor may use a variety of diagnostic tools to help diagnose your condition, including:
- Holter or event monitor. This is a smaller, portable EKG machine you wear for a set amount of time to help your doctor monitor your electrocardiographic signals.
- Electrocardiogram. Also referred to as an ECG or EKG, this diagnostic tool uses small electrodes to record the electrical activity of your heart. Your doctor can use the information collected to determine if heart abnormalities are contributing to your condition.
- Stress test. Sometimes called a treadmill test or excercise test, this can help diagnose people whose symptoms may be exercise related.
- A tilt-table test. This measures how your blood pressure and heart rate respond when you go from lying down to standing up. People dealing with fainting spells are usually candidates for a tilt-table test.
- Imaging tests. Imaging can be used to assess if there are any structural abnormalities in your heart that may be contributing to your condition. Possible imaging tests can include echocardiogram, CT scan, and MRI scan.
- Electrophysiologictesting. Done under local anesthesia, this procedure involves temporary electrode catheters being threaded through veins or arteries into the heart to record the hearts electrical signals.
Once a diagnosis is made, your doctor will work with you to develop a plan to treat and manage your condition.
Why The Test Is Performed
Measuring the pulse gives important information about your health. Any change from your normal heart rate can indicate a health problem. Fast pulse may signal an infection or dehydration . In emergency situations, the pulse rate can help determine if the person’s heart is pumping.
Pulse measurement has other uses as well. During or immediately after exercise, the pulse rate gives information about your fitness level and health.
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How To Take Your Childs Pulse
Your heart rate, also called your pulse, is the number of times your heart beats every minute. You can measure your childs pulse by placing your finger on their wrist under the thumb, over the middle of the chest, the side of the neck, or the top of the foot.
These sites are areas of the body where an artery lies just under the skin. For example, the carotid artery is in the neck and the radial artery is in the wrist.
Normal Heart Rate For Children
Verywell / Photo Illustration by Michela Buttignol / Getty Images
Many parents know that their own pulse or heart rate should be within about 60 to 100 beats per minute. Your child, however, may have a higher pulse rate, depending on their age.
Because heart rate generally decreases as body size increases, babies have the highest pulse. Heart rate slows down as a child grows.
Knowing what a normal pulse rate is and how to check your child’s pulse can help you avoid unnecessary worry about your child’s heart rate. It can also help you identify a slow or fast pulse when your child is sick and let you know when to seek medical attention.
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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.
If you are concerned about a possible poisoning or exposure to a toxic substance, call Poison Control now at 1-800-567-8911.
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What Affects Blood Pressure In Children
Your childs blood pressure may temporarily be high due to stress, anxiety or exercise. Its usually not a cause for concern.
High blood pressure as a medical condition is somewhat common in adults, but its rare in children. If your child does have high blood pressure over time not just a one-time high reading it could be caused by kidney disease. If your pediatrician is concerned about your childs blood pressure, a blood test for kidney function is often the next step.
A blood pressure measurement thats lower than the normal range is typically nothing to worry about as long as your child isnt also showing signs of infection or illness. Extreme dehydration can cause low blood pressure. If your child is showing signs of an infection, or dehydration, a serious condition, seek medical attention right away.
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Pediatric Vital Signs Normal Ranges Summary Table:
-
Values were derived from numerous sources and reflect the most up-to-date guidelines. Normal ranges may include measurements that deviate from these values. Note that the patient’s normal range and clinical condition should always be considered.
|
*Age Group |
|
|
55-90 |
50-90 |
* For Newborn infants, BP values vary considerably during the first few weeks of life and the definition of HTN in preterm and term neonates also varies. Data have been compiled on neonatal BP values and the summary table is available. Please note that no alternative data have been developed recently. For further information, please see the following articles:
Dionne, J. M., et al. . “Hypertension in infancy: diagnosis, management, and outcome.” Pediatr Nephrol 27: 17-32.
Dionne, J. M., et al. . “Hypertension Canada’s 2017 Guidelines for the Diagnosis, Assessment, Prevention, and Treatment of Pediatric Hypertension.” Can J Cardiol 33: 577-585.
“Report of the Second Task Force on Blood Pressure Control in Children–1987. Task Force on Blood Pressure Control in Children. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.” Pediatrics 79: 1-25.