- To determine heart rate in infants, palpate the brachial or femoral
artery, count pulsations of the anterior fontanelle, or auscultate the
heart.
- Children's heart rate varies with age; the table to the right should
serve as a rough guide.
- In general, the heart rate in infants and children varies more with
activity and fever than in adults.
- Premature
ventricular contractions are common in infants and children and
are usually of little significance. It is also normal for children to
exhibit a sinus arrhythmia
in which the heart rate increases with inspiration and slows with expiration.
|
| Age |
Heart Rate |
| Birth |
140 |
| 6 mo |
130 |
| 1 yr |
115 |
| 2 yr |
110 |
| 6 yr |
103 |
| 8 yr |
100 |
| 10 yr |
95 |
|
Pulse
Heart Rate in Children