Pulse refers to the number of times the heart beats per minute. Each person has his own rhythm, but, nevertheless, there are lower and upper boundaries, within which the pulse is considered normal.
Heart rate or pulse indicates the number of times your heart beats per minute. The heart rate is different for each child. It depends on body size, physical health, medications taken, air temperature, and even whether you are sitting or standing. The heart rate is also influenced by emotions, as in stressful situations and in danger, the heart rate accelerates.
The pulse must be measured on two hands. Pulse asymmetry indicates heart disease.
Normal heart rate for children under 15
In newborns, the heart rate is quite high - 140-160 beats per minute, at the age of 1 to 2 years, the heart rate is 110-120 beats. For children aged 2 to 5 years, the resting heart rate is considered normal from 86 to 112 beats per minute, and at the age of 5 to 15 years, this figure is 70-100 beats per minute. With the upper value, the load on the heart and other organs increases sharply. Adolescents who are actively involved in sports and have excellent physical shape, at rest, can observe a decrease in heart rate up to 40 beats per minute. And this is also considered a variant of the norm. To calculate the maximum allowable heart rate for a child, there are two formulas:
220 - age, that is, for a child 15 years old, this is: 220-15 = 205; or
206.9 - (0.67 x age), that is, for a child 15 years old, this is: 0.67 x 15 = 10.5, and 206.9 - 10.5 = 196.4.
The second formula is medically more accurate, but the first is easier to remember. The calculation of the maximum allowable rhythm shows which pulse is critical for the body and leads to cardiac arrest. That is, for a child of 15 years old, this figure is 196.4 beats per minute. It must be admitted that the pulse rarely reaches the limit level and these data are rather theoretical.
If the child suffers from high blood pressure, the pulse must be measured at the ankle.
How to measure your heart rate correctly
There are several ways to measure your heart rate - at the wrist, neck, groin, and ankle, where the major arteries pass. The most common measurement is at the wrist. To get an accurate result, place your finger on the inside of your wrist, where the veins run, press a little and count the number of beats for 60 seconds. You can also measure the pulse for 15 seconds, multiplying the number of beats received by 4, and for 10 seconds, multiplying by 6, but most doctors recommend measuring the indicators over a full 1-minute cycle. Before measuring the pulse, it is advisable for the child to be in a sitting position for at least 10 minutes, because children are actively moving and the pulse can increase, but it usually recovers in 10 minutes.
