Normal ranges by age (at rest, awake)

Age Heart rate Breathing rate Blood pressure (systolic) Low blood pressure below
Newborn (0 to 4 weeks) 100 to 205 30 to 60 67 to 84 60
Baby (1 to 12 months) 100 to 180 30 to 53 72 to 104 70
Toddler (1 to 2 years) 98 to 140 22 to 37 86 to 106 70 + (2 × age in years)
Preschool (3 to 5 years) 80 to 120 20 to 28 89 to 112 70 + (2 × age in years)
School age (6 to 11 years) 75 to 118 18 to 25 97 to 115 70 + (2 × age in years), up to 90
Teenager (12 to 17 years) 60 to 100 12 to 20 110 to 131 90
Adult 60 to 100 12 to 20 Under 120 (with diastolic under 80) 90

Temperature: normal is about 36.1 to 37.9 °C; 38.0 °C or more is a fever. Oxygen saturation: 95 to 100% is normal at sea level for most people. People with long-term lung disease may have a lower target set by their doctor.

Adult blood pressure categories

Category Top number (systolic) Bottom number (diastolic)
Low Under 90 or Under 60
Normal Under 120 and Under 80
Elevated 120 to 129 and Under 80
High, stage 1 130 to 139 or 80 to 89
High, stage 2 140 or more or 90 or more
Severe Over 180 or Over 120

Measuring well

  • Sit quietly for 5 minutes before checking pulse or blood pressure, with your back supported, feet flat and arm resting at heart level.
  • Count breaths for a full minute without telling the person, as people breathe differently when watched. For babies, watch the tummy rise and fall.
  • Warm hands give better oxygen readings. Nail polish, cold fingers and movement can give false low results.
  • One high blood pressure reading does not mean high blood pressure. Repeat it on different days, or use home monitoring.
For students & clinicians (technical detail)
  • Paediatric ranges follow the AHA PALS (2020) reference values for awake children; hypotension limits are the PALS definitions.
  • Adult blood pressure categories follow the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline. Other guidelines (for example ESC/ESH, NICE) set hypertension at 140/90 in clinic.
  • NEWS2 (Royal College of Physicians, 2017) uses SpO₂ scale 1. Do not use it in pregnancy, under 16s, or with SpO₂ scale 2 (target 88 to 92% in hypercapnic respiratory failure) without adjusting. Score 0 to 4: low; any single parameter scoring 3: low to medium, urgent ward review; 5 to 6: medium, urgent response; 7 or more: high, emergency response.
  • Fever in a baby under 3 months (38 °C or more) needs same-day medical assessment.