Blood pressure is a thing that traditionally worries the older generation more than children and their parents. However, this indicator is important for people of all ages; it can reflect the state and functioning of the cardiovascular system in children as accurately as in adults. Therefore, let's figure out together what blood pressure is normal in children, a table of indicators and what problems in the body it will help us tell us about.
Briefly about blood pressure
The cardiovascular system, as you might guess, consists of the heart and blood vessels. Their maturation in intrauterine development is closely related, and after the birth of a child, they cannot be considered separately.
The heart's job is to pump blood through the body. With each blow, it throws blood, portion by portion, into the vessels - a kind of pipeline in our body, which reaches almost every part of our body. However, vessels, unlike water pipes, have a very important property - elasticity.
Elasticity allows the vessels to regulate the size of their lumen, and hence the blood supply, depending on the needs of the body.
For example, if a child runs, the vessels in his muscles will expand in order to receive more blood, which will actively nourish the muscles and saturate them with oxygen. The same will happen in the skin, so that the blood gives off excess heat through its surface. But the vessels of the digestive system will tone up and contract - the digestion of food can wait. This mechanism underlies the regulation of blood pressure.
So, blood pressure in a person will depend on two processes: the release of blood from our heart and on the tone of the walls of blood vessels. This is reflected in two pressure numbers: systolic (or upper) and diastolic (lower).
- systolic - this is the pressure that is created by the action of blood on the vascular wall in the phase of contraction of the heart (systole), therefore it is called in another way cardiac;
- diastolic is the pressure during the relaxation phase of the heart (diastole), it depends on the vascular tension at this moment, therefore it is also called vascular.
Thus, the more often the heart contracts and the more blood it throws out, as well as the narrower the diameter of the vascular lumen, the higher the pressure. And vice versa: the less often the heart contracts and the larger the vascular lumen, the less pressure. These processes are regulated by the nervous and endocrine systems, and they are in constant complex dynamic equilibrium.
The pressure is not the same throughout the day and depends on the activity of the child. It will be minimal at night and early in the morning, and maximal in the evening. If you measure the pressure immediately after a run, it will be very high, because the heart and blood vessels, as we now know, adjust to the needs of the child's body.
Blood pressure measurement methods
Doctors most often measure blood pressure by the so-called auscultatory method, namely, using a tonometer and a stethoscope (usually this device is called a mechanical tonometer). The doctor puts a cuff on the child's shoulder, builds up pressure in it. Then he slowly releases air from the cuff and, with the help of a stethoscope, listens to the moment the tones appear, that is, pulse beats (the number on the tonometer, which the arrow is pointing to at this moment, will mean systolic pressure), and the moment the tones disappear (the arrow will indicate the number of diastolic pressure ).
At home, people usually use automatic blood pressure monitors (they use the oscilloscope method of measuring pressure). The principle of their operation is almost the same as that of mechanical blood pressure monitors, only the device independently registers the moment of appearance and disappearance of tones. It can measure pressure at the shoulder or wrist.
How to measure blood pressure correctly in children
Before you start measuring blood pressure, you need to make sure that the size of the cuff you will be using is the right size for your child. There are special cuffs for children of different ages, differing in the size of the inner chamber and the width:
- for newborns, the width of the inner chamber of the cuff should be 3 cm;
- for babies - 5 cm;
- for children over 1 year old - 8 cm;
- for adolescents (or large children) - 10 cm.
The cuff should cover 2/3 of the child's shoulders. Usually, the manufacturer indicates on the tonometers the age of children for whom this or that device can be used.
Do not use adult cuffs to measure blood pressure for children! This may distort the result.
Blood pressure should be measured at rest. You should not run and frolic, and also give your child to eat 30 minutes before the procedure. It would be best to sit and rest for 10 to 15 minutes and only then start measuring.
Do not forget to take the baby to the toilet - a full bladder or an empty intestine will bother the child, which will certainly affect the measurement result - the blood pressure figures will become higher.
Very young children are laid on their backs, the handle is pulled aside with the palm up and the cuff is put on the baby's bare shoulder so that the lower edge is a couple of centimeters above the bend of the elbow. For older kids, the pressure can be measured while sitting. The arm should be bent at the elbow, put it on the table with the palm upward in such a way that the child is comfortable and that the shoulder with the cuff is approximately at the same level with the heart.
If this is the first time you measure pressure on a child, you should first measure it on the right hand, then on the left hand. And subsequently carry out the measurement on the hand on which the pressure is higher. As a rule, for right-handers it will be higher on the right hand.
A discrepancy in numbers of 10 to 15 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) between the two hands is the norm.
It is worth measuring the pressure three times with a difference of about 3 minutes. The average value will be considered final.
Blood pressure norm for children of different ages
So, you measured blood pressure according to all the rules and got the final result. How can you evaluate it?
Blood pressure norm for children under 1 year old
Newborns and children of the first year of life have a very abundantly developed network of capillaries, and the walls of the vessels are thin and elastic. The baby's small heart is still unable to expel a large amount of blood. Therefore, the blood pressure of newborn babies is only 60 - 96 (systolic) / 40 - 50 (diastolic) millimeters of mercury.
During the entire first year of life, the vessels and the heart develop very quickly, the walls of the vessels become less elastic, muscle fibers only develop in them, and the blood pressure gradually increases, therefore, by the end of the year, the systolic pressure can already reach 90-112 mm. Art., and diastolic - 50-74 mm Hg. Art.
The following simple formula can help to roughly determine whether the child's pressure is normal in the first year of his life: systolic blood pressure = 76 + 2n, where n is the number of months the baby has lived.
Blood pressure norms for children 2 - 3 years old
At 2 - 3 years of age, the growth rate of the child, as well as his cardiovascular system, slows down. Therefore, the pressure figures during this period will fluctuate within 100 - 112 mm Hg. Art. (for the top) and 60 - 74 mm Hg. (for the bottom).
Blood pressure norms in children 3 - 5 years old
Subsequently, the heart and blood vessels will develop even more slowly in children of the preschool period (3 - 5 years). The increase in blood pressure will be very insignificant - about 2 mm Hg. Art .: systolic 100 - 116 mm. Art., diastolic 60 - 76 mm. Art.
Blood pressure norms for children 6 - 9 years old
Children grow up and are already going to school, and their blood pressure indicators are increasingly approaching adult values. For children 6 - 9 years old, the lower limit of the norm still remains at the level of 100/60 mm Hg. Art., but the upper one grows up to 122/78 mm. Art.
Blood pressure norm for children 10 - 12 years old
During this age period, children again enter a phase of rapid development. An important factor during this period is puberty, in which girls are slightly ahead of boys. Systolic blood pressure will fluctuate between 110 and 126 mm. Art., and diastolic - 70 - 82 mm. Art.
Blood pressure norms in children 13 - 15 years old
Puberty continues and ends, boys are catching up with girls in development, and the values of normal blood pressure (like most other indicators of health assessment) have already reached the level of adults. In adolescents, a systolic pressure of 110 to 136 mm can be considered normal. Art., and diastolic from 70 to 86 mm. Art.
For children over 1 year old, you can use the formula to roughly determine normal blood pressure: systolic blood pressure = 90 + 2n, where n is the number of years; diastolic blood pressure = (systolic blood pressure / 2) + 10.
For convenience, you can also use the table below. It indicates the norms of blood pressure indicators by age and their range.
Blood pressure table in children
Age Blood pressure (mm. Art.)
Systolic Diastolic
Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum
Up to 2 months 60 96 40 50
2 months - 1 year 90 112 50 74
2 - 3 years 100 112 60 74
3 - 5 years 100 116 60 76
6-9 years 100 122 60 78
10 - 12 years old 110 126 70 82
13 - 15 years old 110 136 70 86
The formulas and tables above are only approximate. Only a doctor can judge whether the blood pressure of your particular child will be normal when using special tables with percentile indicators. Therefore, if the baby's pressure is slightly outside the limits of the norms given in our table, and it does not bother him in any way, there is no need to worry. It is better to get the advice of a pediatrician during a routine medical examination.
What else do you need to know about blood pressure in children?
Blood pressure indicators are closely related to the physical development of children, their growth rate and body weight, maturation of the endocrine system. That is why the pressure in children of the same age can be different. For example, a tall and thin (asthenic) girl will have less blood pressure than a short, dense boy, and this is absolutely normal.
When should you measure your child's blood pressure yourself?
If you have a special children's blood pressure monitor at home, do not torment your child with daily blood pressure measurements. However, there are times when it will be useful and help you navigate the situation.
- About once a year, you can measure blood pressure to make sure that it is correct for his age, and also to determine which numbers are comfortable for your child. Sometimes the child can be adapted to the pressure corresponding to the lower limit of the norm, and when approaching the upper limit, his health will deteriorate, and vice versa. It will be helpful to know these individual characteristics of your baby.
- Headache. When your child starts attending school, his physical activity usually decreases, he spends more time reading and writing, and various stressful situations can arise. Sometimes this provokes various deviations in blood pressure, so if a child complains of pain in the head, you should first use a tonometer.
- Poisoning and infectious diseases, accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea. When a child loses fluid, it can be complicated by a very dangerous condition - dehydration. A drop in blood pressure will be one of several indicators of the degree of dehydration (along with lethargy, dry skin).
If you have once recorded high or, conversely, low blood pressure in your child (especially if this is not accompanied by complaints), you should not immediately run to the doctor. First you need to make sure that you have carried out the measurement according to all the rules, observe the pressure for a couple of weeks. Only when it stably falls outside the age range, consult a doctor.
Low blood pressure - its causes, symptoms and treatment
Another name for low blood pressure is hypotension. It can be physiological - for example, when the child is asleep, or immediately upon the awakening of the baby, when the nervous system calms down and the heartbeat slows down. Sometimes children are simply prone to hypotension and feel good at low blood pressure.
Pathological hypotension is usually only a symptom of another disease or condition.
Common causes of low blood pressure are:
- various congenital and acquired heart diseases (defects, myocarditis);
- diabetes;
- hypothyroidism;
- craniocerebral trauma (including birth);
- anemia;
- blood loss;
- dehydration;
- hypovitaminosis (lack of vitamins).
In addition, lack or excess of physical activity, frequent infectious diseases, and frequent stress (at school, at home) can lead to a decrease in pressure. Some drugs can have the side effect of low blood pressure.
How can you suspect a pathological decrease in blood pressure?
The following signs will help you:
- weakness, the child gets tired faster than usual;
- headache;
- dizziness;
- nausea;
- pallor of the skin;
- sweating, moist skin;
- discomfort in the heart;
- fainting (short-term loss of consciousness).
The most common cause of fainting is the so-called collapse, that is, a sharp drop in pressure. The first thing that a parent usually instinctively wants to do is to raise the baby as soon as possible, but this is wrong. Leave the child to lie down, turn his head to one side, provide him with fresh air (open the window). Then lift the baby's legs so that the blood rushes to the head. You can dip your face and neck with a damp cloth, rag, or simply sprinkle with water. You shouldn't give him any medicine, even sniff ammonia. Gradually, the child will come to his senses, but it is still worth calling an ambulance team as soon as the baby loses consciousness.
If you suddenly find these symptoms in your child, you should show the baby to the child's doctor, whose task will be to search for and find the cause of hypotension. Therefore, the treatment of low blood pressure, as a rule, is reduced to eliminating the cause of its occurrence, that is, to treating heart disease, diabetes, stopping bleeding, treating an infection that led to dehydration, and so on.
If the root cause of hypotension does not lie in any other, underlying disease, then it will be enough to adjust the child's lifestyle.
- mode of work and rest. The child should sleep at least 8 hours, this is especially important for schoolchildren;
- a systematic increase in physical activity. Let the child spend more time in the fresh air, walking, doing morning exercises. Various sports sections will be helpful, especially swimming. However, do not overload the child with physical activity;
- healthy and varied food. Check that the child's diet allows him to receive and assimilate all the necessary vitamins and minerals;
- protect your child from unnecessary stress in school and family.
High blood pressure - causes, symptoms and treatment
Increased pressure, or hypertension, normally occurs during exercise, emotional stress, when the intensity of the heart increases. Hypertension often occurs during adolescence during a child's hormonal development.
However, sometimes the cause of hypertension is a serious illness (then the hypertension will be called secondary):
- diseases of the kidneys and their vessels (narrowing of the arteries of the kidneys, urolithiasis, pyelonephritis);
- endocrine system diseases (thyrotoxicosis, adrenal gland pathology);
- brain damage;
- diseases of the nervous system.
Symptoms indicating high blood pressure are varied, sometimes similar in manifestations to hypotension.
The main features include the following:
- pressing pain in the head;
- weakness;
- dizziness;
- nausea and vomiting;
- flashing "flies" before the eyes;
- noise in ears;
- redness of the face.
With hypertension caused by kidney disease, the child may experience absolutely no discomfort during the pressure rise.
In children, high blood pressure is rarely the only symptom, most often it manifests itself along with other signs that will help the doctor understand the cause of the disease. Treatment of hypertension, just like hypotension, is reduced to eliminating its cause, that is, to treating the underlying disease.
