Pediatric vital signs chart by age
Use this pediatric vital signs chart by age to check normal pediatric vital signs, including heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure ranges, then use the calculator when you need a faster exact-age answer.
Last reviewed: February 26, 2026
Clinical disclaimer
Pediatric vital signs chart quick read
- Use this pediatric vital signs chart by age to check normal heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure ranges before you move to the exact-age calculator.
- Normal pediatric vital signs vary by age, sleep state, fever, pain, and agitation, so the chart works best as a bedside reference rather than a rigid cutoff list.
- The calculator helps when the child falls between broad age bands and you need a faster handoff-ready answer.
- Blood pressure bands here are for quick screening only. Use age-, sex-, and height-based percentiles for formal hypertension decisions.
Enter chronological age; for preterm infants, consider corrected age when interpreting ranges.
Normal pediatric vital signs chart by age
These ranges reflect commonly used pediatric reference bands for quick bedside checks. Use age-, sex-, and height-based percentiles for formal BP diagnosis.
| Age band | HR awake (bpm) | HR asleep (bpm) | RR (breaths/min) | BP (SBP/DBP mmHg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neonate (0–28 days) | 100–205 | 90–160 | 30–53 | 67–84/35–53 |
| Infant (1–12 months) | 100–190 | 90–160 | 30–53 | 72–104/37–56 |
| Toddler (1–2 years) | 98–140 | 80–120 | 22–37 | 86–106/42–63 |
| Preschool (3–5 years) | 80–120 | 65–100 | 20–28 | 89–112/46–72 |
| School‑age (6–12 years) | 75–118 | 58–90 | 18–25 | 97–115/57–76 |
| Adolescent (≥13 years) | 60–100 | 50–90 | 12–20 | 110–131/64–83 |
Ranges are rounded for usability. Recheck abnormal values and interpret in clinical context.
Printable chart
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How to use the pediatric vital signs chart
This calculator maps the child's age in years and months to a standard pediatric age band and then displays commonly used PALS-style reference ranges for heart rate (awake and asleep), respiratory rate, and systolic/diastolic blood pressure. These bands are designed for quick bedside checks and triage rather than formal hypertension diagnosis.
- Enter chronological age in years and months.
- The tool selects the appropriate band (e.g., neonate, infant, toddler, school-age, adolescent) and displays the corresponding HR, RR, and BP ranges.
- Ranges are taken from contemporary PALS reference tables and rounded slightly to keep them easy to remember and apply.
Measurement tips
Vital signs are only as useful as the way they are measured. Rushed measurements taken while a child is crying, wrestling with equipment, or febrile can look far more alarming than true resting values.
- Whenever possible, measure HR and RR when the child is calm or asleep, and note the context (fever, pain, agitation).
- Use an appropriately sized blood pressure cuff; an undersized cuff can falsely elevate readings, while an oversized cuff can underestimate pressure.
- Repeat measurements that do not match the clinical picture, and confirm unexpected extremes manually when feasible.
Interpretation & clinical use
Ranges on this page represent typical values for otherwise healthy children at rest. They are not rigid cutoffs. A mildly elevated heart rate in a child with a fever and otherwise reassuring exam is very different from the same number in a pale, hypotensive child with poor perfusion.
- Interpret HR and RR in the context of temperature, pain, anxiety, medications, and baseline conditions (e.g., congenital heart disease, chronic lung disease).
- Use serial measurements and trends rather than single values whenever you can; a trend toward improvement or deterioration is often more informative than a snapshot.
- For blood pressure, remember that formal pediatric hypertension definitions depend on age, sex, and height percentiles, not just broad bands like those shown here.
If a child's vital signs fall well outside the typical band—especially when accompanied by concerning symptoms or exam findings—treat that as a prompt for closer evaluation, not just a number to record.
Red flags & when to escalate
- Persistent tachycardia or tachypnea out of proportion to fever or distress, particularly with poor perfusion, altered mental status, or hypoxia.
- Hypotension relative to age (e.g., SBP < 70 + 2 × age in years) or rapidly falling blood pressure in the setting of shock.
- Bradycardia, especially when associated with hypoxia, altered consciousness, or signs of increased intracranial pressure.
When red flags are present, follow local early warning scores or sepsis pathways, involve senior help early, and consider transferring to a higher level of care.
Reassessment cadence by acuity
- Stable outpatient or low-acuity setting: repeat if symptoms change or context likely altered baseline values.
- Emergency or inpatient active evaluation: reassess at protocol interval and after major interventions.
- Any concerning trend or red flag: shorten interval immediately and escalate per early warning pathway.
Shift handoff checklist for abnormal trends
- Most abnormal recent HR/RR/BP values with context (fever, pain, agitation, sleep state).
- Trend direction over time rather than isolated single-point values.
- Interventions attempted and observed physiologic response.
- Explicit reassessment timing and trigger threshold for escalation.
Related tools and references
Frequently asked questions
Normal pediatric vital signs vary by age. Use this page to look up typical heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure ranges for the correct age band and interpret them in context.
Different guidelines and textbooks use slightly different age bands, reference populations, and rounding conventions. This page uses commonly cited PALS-style ranges and presents them in broad bands that work well for everyday clinical use, but you should always cross-check with your local reference tables when in doubt.
Fever commonly increases HR and RR. A mildly elevated heart or respiratory rate in a febrile but otherwise well-appearing child may be expected. Values that remain markedly outside the normal band after antipyretics and calming, or that are paired with abnormal perfusion or work of breathing, deserve closer evaluation.
Yes. For former preterm infants, corrected age (based on expected due date) often provides a more appropriate comparison for vital sign ranges, especially in the first months of life. This calculator uses chronological age; use your clinical judgment and local guidance when interpreting ranges in preterm infants.
No. Pediatric hypertension is defined using percentile tables that account for age, sex, and height. The BP ranges here are meant for quick bedside checks and flagging clearly abnormal values, not for making a formal hypertension diagnosis.
Frequency depends on clinical status and setting. Stable outpatients may only need occasional measurements, while hospitalized or critically ill children require scheduled and sometimes continuous monitoring. Follow your institution’s observation and early warning score guidelines.
Include the trend, context of measurement, interventions tried, and exact trigger thresholds for escalation. Handoff quality is often what prevents delayed recognition of deterioration.
References
- AHA PALS reference tables.
- Pediatric emergency medicine and critical care texts with age-based vital sign norms.