Body Health
Temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate, and blood pressure are key indicators of the human body that help detect, monitor and monitor many health problems. The natural values of these indicators vary by age. They vary from child to adult or elderly. Except for temperature, the natural value of this biomarker is constant and does not differ by age group.
What is the heart rate?
Many people mistake the difference between the meaning of blood pressure and the heart rate. They think they have the same meaning. Although there is a relationship between them, they are completely different in meaning. Blood pressure is the force of the blood pumping and movement of blood inside the blood vessels. The number of heart beats per minute is expressed, in other words, the number of contractions in the heart’s ventricles that are responsible for pumping blood from the heart to the body, and sometimes the number of heart beats may increase and lead to heart acceleration, and at other times decrease and lead to a slowdown In the pulse.
Heart rate in children
The normal heart rate varies according to age. The normal pulse rate in children is higher than in adults and the elderly. The normal heart rate in children varies according to age groups:
- In cases of premature delivery or prematurity, the child’s pulse rate may range from 120-170 beats per minute.
- Children aged 1 to 3 months have a normal pulse rate of between 100-150 beats per minute.
- Children aged three to six months have a normal pulse rate of between 90-120 beats per minute.
- Children aged 6-12 months range from a normal pulse rate of 80-120 beats per minute.
- Children between 1 and 3 years of age have a normal pulse rate of 70-110 beats per minute.
- Children between three and six years of age have a normal pulse rate of 65-110 beats per minute.
- Children aged 6-12 years range from a normal pulse rate of 60 to 95 beats per minute.
High and low heart rate in children
The pulse rate may vary from time to time and varies according to the activity of the child. During movement, jogging and play, the heart rate is expected to increase, and with exercises And may be up to 60 beats per minute during sleep, which is normal and does not require concern, but in cases of illness may increase the pulse rate in the child to exceed 220 beats per minute , And at other times the pulse may be reduced to a In both cases, either extreme acceleration or extreme depression is considered an emergency. The child must be taken to hospital or emergency, especially if he or she has symptoms of fainting or dizziness. Parents are advised to consult a doctor if they notice that the rate The baby’s pulse remains at the upper limit of the normal range even in times of sleep and inactivity, or remains at a minimum normal range even in times of play and motor activity.
How to measure the heart rate in children
To measure the child’s heart rate, follow these steps:
- Make the measurement in a quiet room away from the noise, allow the child to sit or stretch it comfortably.
- If the child is playing and exerting physical effort before the measurement process, it should be left to rest for five minutes, until the heartbeat returns to normal.
- To measure the pulse of the heart, use an hour or a timer that shows seconds and minutes.
- The index finger and middle fingers are used to sense the pulse, and avoid using the thumb for this task, because it contains a pulsed artery itself.
- For pulse sensor, the fingers are placed gently while avoiding pressure on the wrist area until the pulse is determined. The pulse is then counted for exactly 30 seconds, determined by the clock or timer.
- To calculate the heart rate per minute, the result of the measurement must be multiplied by 30 seconds to obtain the correct pulse count.
When should the pulse rate be measured in children?
In fact, there is no need to measure or monitor the heart rate in healthy children. The doctor will do this during the child’s routine visits, but if the child has a health condition or a heart condition, the doctor will tell the parents how to measure the pulse, , And the appropriate period of measurement, as required by the state of the child.
Causes may lead to high heartbeat in the child
Some believe that heart rate acceleration is a sign of a problem or a heart disease. This is true, but it is not limited to it. The heartbeat may be a symptom associated with health problems or diseases other than heart disease, including:
- Eat baby drinks containing caffeine, such as coffee, soft drinks, and energy drinks.
- Accelerating heartbeat may occur about feeling pain.
- High body temperature is accompanied by a high heart rate.
- Common symptoms of anemia include an accelerated heartbeat.
- Pulse acceleration is a common symptom of hyperthyroidism.
- The use of some medicines may be a cause of an accelerated heartbeat. These include: Anticonvulsants, as well as medications used to treat attention deficit and hyperactivity in children.