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Pediatric blood pressure is measured in percentiles based on age, height, and sex. A child is considered healthy if their results fall between the 50th and 90th percentiles. Blood pressure can vary as a child grows, and it’s recommended to take two separate tests. A normal target for children with high blood pressure is 130/80 mmHg or the 50th percentile, whichever is lower. Adult measurements should be used for those over 18.
Blood pressure measurement identifies the rate at which blood moves through an individual’s blood vessels. For adults, blood pressure is typically measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg), and normal blood pressure is typically around 120/80 mmHg. In children, however, blood pressure is measured with respect to percentiles that correspond to the child’s sex, height, and age. Doctors use graphs to determine percentiles. There is no established normal pediatric blood pressure range, but the general consensus is that a child is healthy if his or her results fall between the 50th and 90th percentiles
Blood pressure is measured by stopping circulation to blood vessels and listening to the sound the blood makes as it moves throughout the body. Normal pediatric blood pressure in children differs according to gender and age. Furthermore, blood pressure can also vary depending on the height of the child. Unlike adult blood pressure, children’s blood pressure results are ranked by percentiles rather than specific numbers. When the pediatric blood pressure number corresponding to the child’s height and age is plotted, the percentile is obtained which is used to assess the child’s health.
Pediatric blood pressure is considered normal when the measurement falls below the 95th percentile, although results between the 90th and 95th percentiles typically indicate a stage of prehypertension. For example, a three-year-old who falls into the 50th percentile based on the height table and has a blood pressure measurement of 105/61 mmHg would have a blood pressure falling into the 90th percentile, based on pediatric blood pressure graphs. In this case he could be diagnosed with pre-hypertension. If that same guy had a blood pressure reading of 91/46, his blood pressure would fall in the 50th percentile.
A normal blood pressure level can vary significantly as the child grows in size and age. For this reason, it’s typically recommended that children receive two separate blood pressure tests during two visits to get an accurate reading. For children already diagnosed with high blood pressure, a normal pediatric blood pressure target is 130/80 mmHg or the 50th percentile, whichever is lower.
While there is no established normal pediatric blood pressure range, the general consensus is that a child is healthy if the results fall between the 50th and 90th percentiles. Some doctors, however, may have general ranges that they’ve developed through experience for determining healthy blood pressure levels. In children who are otherwise healthy, both the lowest blood pressure readings and the highest numbers increase proportionally as the child gets older and grows up to the age of 17. Once a child turns 18, adult measurements should be used instead.
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