Table 1.

Respiratory rate
30 - 40 / min
Infant
24 - 40 / min
Toddler
School age 18 - 30 / min
Adolescent 12 - 16 / min
Table 3. Tachypnoea in children
Age
Breaths/minute
< 2 mths
> 60
2 mths - 1 yr > 50
1 yr - 5 yrs
> 40

Table 2. Normal range for Heart rate

Age
Awake Mean Sleeping
< 3 mth
85 - 205 140 80 - 160
3 mth - 2 yr 100 - 190 130 75 - 160
2 yr - 10 yr 60 - 140
80
60 - 90
60 - 100
75
50 - 90
> 10 yr

from Gillette 1989

Note: Any age HR > 220 consider

Supraventricular tachycardia !

Table 4. Normal range of Blood pressure

Table 5. Blood pressure in hypotension
Systolic (mmHg) Diastolic (mmHg)
Age
Minimum systolic

blood pressure
Day 1 (< 1000g)
39 - 59
16 - 36
< 1 mth
60 mm Hg
50 - 70
25 - 45
Day 1 (> 3000g)
1 mth- 1 yr 70 mm Hg
Neonate
60 - 90
20 - 60
1 - 10 yrs 70 mm Hg + (2 x age in yrs)
Infant
87 - 105
53 - 66
> 10 yrs
90 mm Hg
Toddler
95 - 105
53 - 66
1. 5th percentile. BP below this is hypotension
> 7 years
97 - 122
57 - 71
> 15 years
112 - 128
66 - 80 from Hazinski 1992
Table 6. Blood pressure in hypertension
Age
Significant Hypertension Severe Hypertension
1 week
Systolic 96
Systolic 106
Systolic 104
Systolic 110
7d - 1 mo
Infant
Systolic 112
Systolic 118
Diastolic 74
Diastolic 82
Systolic 116
Systolic 124
3 - 5 years
Diastolic 76
Diastolic 86
6 - 9 years
Systolic 122
Systolic 130
Diastolic 78
Diastolic 86
10 - 12 years
Systolic 126
Systolic 134
Diastolic 82
Diastolic 90
Systolic 136
Systolic 144
13 - 15 years
Diastolic 86
Diastolic 92
16 - 18 years
Systolic 142
Systolic 150
Diastolic 92
Diastolic 98

Anthropometric Measurements
Head Circumference
rate of growth in preterm infants approximates that
of term infant when chronological age reaches term
the head circumference increases by 12 cm in the
1st year of life ( 6 cm in first 3 months, then 3 cm
in second 3 months, and 3 cm in last 6 months)
and only 2 cm in the 2nd year of life
the rate of cerebrospinal production is 0.35 ml/min or
500 ml/day (total CSF volume is 50 mls in newborns,
increasing to 150 mls in adulthood)


Table 7. Rate of head growth

Age
Rate of increase
30-33 wks
1.1 cm / wk
34-37 wks
0.8 cm / wk
< 3 mth
2.0 cm / mth
4 - 6 mth
1.0 cm / mth
6 - 12 mth
0.5 cm / mth
1 - 2 yr
2.0 cm / yr
2 - 7 yr
0.5 cm / yr
7 - 12 yr
0.33 cm / yr

GENERAL PAEDIATRICS

NORMAL VALUES IN CHILDREN

Vital Signs

GENERAL PAEDIATRICS

Weight
in the first 7 - 10 days of life, babies lose 10 - 15% of their birth weight
in the first 3 months of life, the rate of weight gain is 25 gm / day
Babies usually regain their birth weight by the
Table 8. Weight for age (rough guide)
7 - 10th day, double this by 5 months age, and
Age
Weight (kg)
triple the birth weight by 1 year of age
birth
3.5
1 year
10
formula to calculate weight for age:
2 year
20

1 - 9 yrs : Wt (kg) = (Age in yrs + 4) x 2
3 year
30
7 - 12 yrs: Wt (kg) = Age in yrs x 3
Length and height
Table 9. Length and height for age
Age
Length / height
birth
50 cm
6 mths
68 cm
1 yr

75 cm
2 yr
85 cm
3 yr
95 cm
4 yr
100 cm
5-12 yr
5 cm / yr

Haematology
Routine Haematological Values
Table 10. Normal values for haematological parameters
Age
Hb (g/dL) PCV (%) Retics MCV (fL) MCH (pg) TWBC Neutrophil Lymphocytes
Lowest Lowest (x1000) (Mean) (Mean)
13.720.1 45-65 5.0
Cord Blood
110
61
9-30
31
13.020.0 42-66 1.0
2 wk
29
5-21
40
63
9.514.5 31-41 1.0
27
6-18
48
3 mo
30
6 mo 6 yr
10.514.0 33-42 1.0 70-74 25-31
6-15
45
48
7-12 yr
11.016.0 34-40 1.0 76-80 26-32 4.5-13.5
55
38
Adult Male
14.018.0 42-52 1.6
80
5-10
55
35
27-32
Adult Female 12.016.0 37-47 1.6
80
5-10
55
35
26-34
Table 11. Differential counts and
Differential WBC
< 7 days
neutrophils > lymphocytes
eosinophils: 2-3%; monocytes: 6-9 %
1 w - 4 yr lymphocytes > neutrophils
Platelets
4 - 7 yr
neutrophils = lymphocytes
platelets are mildly decreased in first few
> 7 yr
neutrophils > lymphocytes
months of age; but by 6 months have
reached 250 - 300 x 10
Erytrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
should be < 16 mm/hour in children, provided the PCV is at least 35%.

Other normal values are found in the relevant chapters of the protocol.
Nelson Textbook of Pediatric 15th Edition
Pediatric Advanced Life Support Textbook 1994.