For clinicians
Pediatric vital signs by age
For clinicians and students. Not a substitute for your institution’s protocols.
Normal pediatric vital signs change with age. Awake heart rate falls from 100-205 beats a minute in a neonate to 60-100 in an adolescent, and breathing rate from 30-53 in infants to 12-20 in adolescents (PALS 2015). For ages 1 to 10, the lower limit of systolic blood pressure is 70 + (2 × age in years) mm Hg.
Source: PedsCases
Look up by age
Heart rate (beats per minute)
| Age | Awake | Asleep |
|---|---|---|
| Neonate (under 28 days) | 100-205 | 90-160 |
| Infant (1-12 months) | 100-190 | 90-160 |
| Toddler (1-2 years) | 98-140 | 80-120 |
| Preschool (3-5 years) | 80-120 | 65-100 |
| School age (6-11 years) | 75-118 | 58-90 |
| Adolescent (12-15 years) | 60-100 | 50-90 |
Respiratory rate (breaths per minute)
| Age | Normal |
|---|---|
| Infant (under 1 year) | 30-53 |
| Toddler (1-2 years) | 22-37 |
| Preschool (3-5 years) | 20-28 |
| School age (6-11 years) | 18-25 |
| Adolescent (12-15 years) | 12-20 |
Blood pressure (mm Hg)
| Age | Systolic | Diastolic | Systolic hypotension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth (12 h), under 1 kg | 39-59 | 16-36 | < 40-50 |
| Birth (12 h), 3 kg | 60-76 | 31-45 | < 50 |
| Neonate (96 h) | 67-84 | 35-53 | < 60 |
| Infant (1-12 months) | 72-104 | 37-56 | < 70 |
| Toddler (1-2 years) | 86-106 | 42-63 | < 70 + (2 × age in years) |
| Preschool (3-5 years) | 89-112 | 46-72 | < 70 + (2 × age in years) |
| School age (6-9 years) | 97-115 | 57-76 | < 70 + (2 × age in years) |
| Preadolescent (10-11 years) | 102-120 | 61-80 | < 90 |
| Adolescent (12-15 years) | 110-131 | 64-83 | < 90 |
Heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure: PALS Guidelines 2015, as tabulated in PedsCases. For diagnosing hypertension, use the 2017 AAP guideline tables instead.
Normal temperature by method
| Method | Normal range |
|---|---|
| Rectal | 36.6-38.0 °C |
| Tympanic | 35.8-38.0 °C |
| Oral | 35.5-37.5 °C |
| Axillary | 36.5-37.5 °C |
Canadian Paediatric Society position statement on temperature measurement (2015), as tabulated in PedsCases. Rectal and oral readings reflect core temperature best.
Reading these ranges
These are consensus reference ranges, not hard cut-offs. A child with a fever, pain or anxiety will run faster. A 2011 systematic review of observational studies (Fleming et al.) produced heart rate and breathing rate centile charts that differ from the consensus PALS bands at some ages. Use trends and the whole clinical picture.
Common questions
What is a normal heart rate for a child?
It depends on age. Awake, a toddler (1-2 years) is typically 98-140 beats a minute, a preschooler 80-120, a school-age child 75-118, and an adolescent 60-100 (PALS 2015 ranges).
What counts as hypotension in a child?
PALS uses a systolic pressure under 70 mm Hg for infants, under 70 + (2 × age in years) for ages 1 to 10, and under 90 mm Hg from about age 10.
Do these ranges apply to a sleeping or crying child?
Heart rate is lower asleep, so the table gives separate asleep ranges. Crying, fever and pain all raise heart and breathing rates; reassess once the child is calm.
Sources
- Pediatric Vital Signs Reference Chart (Novak, Gill; edited 2020), citing PALS Guidelines 2015 and CPS 2015. PedsCases. Checked 2026-09-25.
- Normal ranges of heart rate and respiratory rate in children from birth to 18 years of age: a systematic review (Fleming et al.). Lancet 2011;377(9770):1011-1018. Checked 2026-09-25.