PULSE RATE, RESPIRATORY RATE, AND BODY TEMPERATURE OF CHILDREN BETWEEN TWO MONTHS AND EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE

Abstract

Pulse rates, respiratory rates, and body temperature values have been obtained under uniform conditions on children of the Child Research Council at the time of the basal metabolism determinations (4). An analysis of these data is presented here since the literature has given inconsistent values for the range of pulse rate and body temperature of children and no range for the respiratory rate. METHOD The data for pulse rates, respiratory rates, and oral or rectal body temperatures were obtained on Child Research Council children immediately following the routine basal metabolism determinations (4). From 3 to I8 years of age the measurements were taken in the morning when the children were fasting, quiet, and apparently relaxed. On the other hand, from 2 to 18 months the heat production was obtained under sleeping, fed conditions at varying times during the day. In this group the pulse rates and body temperatures were measured as soon as the infants awakened after the completion of the test. The pulse rates were not taken while the children were asleep in the closed chamber because the necessary procedure was found to be too disturbing. The respiratory rates, however, were counted while the children slept quietly. From 18 months to 3 years, some of the measurements were made under these sleeping, fed circumstances, while more than half were obtained under the awake, fasting conditions described above for children from 3 to 18 years. At no time were values used for this analysis when there was any evidence of illness. The pulse rates were obtained on the children by palpation of the wrist and on infants by the use of a stethoscope placed over the heart, or occasionally by palpation of the ankle. An effort was always made to find the lowest possible rate under the previously described conditions. The length of time the pulse was counted varied according to the cooperation of the subject, and was never less than 30 seconds. The respiratory rates were determined by observation of the subjects for at least half a minute.