![]() ![]() A child is considered to have an elevated blood pressure if their blood pressure falls above the 90th percentile, and hypertension if they are above the 95th percentile. This allows a more precise indication if a young child is showing high blood pressure. A healthy blood pressure for a child depends on their age, height and gender.įor children under the age of 13, your pediatrician will use a percentile chart to compare your child's blood pressure to peers of the same age, height and gender. There isn't one single number or blood pressure that is considered normal for all children. What is a normal blood pressure for a child? Your child's pediatrician will track trends in blood pressure over time, not just the initial screening, to accurately identify a diagnosis of hypertension. If a child's blood pressure is high at a well-child visit, their blood pressure will also be checked more frequently. If a child has a health condition that increases their risk for high blood pressure, such as obesity or kidney disease, their blood pressure will be checked at every doctor visit. Your child's physician or nurse will use a stethoscope and a hand-inflated arm cuff to check their blood pressure. Your child should sit comfortably in a chair with their feet supported and their arm level with their heart. How is a child's blood pressure checked?Ī child's blood pressure should be checked once a year at their annual exam starting at the age of 3. ![]() Learn more about high blood pressure in kids on the Children's Health Checkup podcast. Learn more about what is considered high blood pressure for a child and ways you can help keep your child healthy. However, regular screenings can help identify high blood pressure in children. Over time, this high blood pressure can cause damage to different organ systems in the body." "If blood pressure is higher, then the heart has to work harder. This pressure is what your heart has to pump against to get blood out to the rest of your body," explains Alan Sing, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist at Pediatric Heart Specialists, a Children's Health℠ Care Network Partner. "A blood pressure reading measures the force of blood against the walls of arteries. When left untreated, this condition can cause serious complications, such as heart disease, kidney failure, stroke and vision loss. However, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), an estimated 3.5% of children and teens have high blood pressure. You may think that hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a condition that affects only adults.
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