Resting pulse rates under 1 year
Median, boys and girls
A typical resting heart rate for babies under 1 year is about 126 bpm. Most babies this age are between 103 and 156 bpm.
Resting heart rate percentiles for babies under 1 year
These numbers are for babies under 1 year. The national survey they come from reports heart rates by age group, not by single year.
| Percentile | Everyone | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 90 | 84 | 96 |
| 2nd | 99 | 98 | 99 |
| 5th | 103 | 102 | 104 |
| 10th | 108 | 107 | 108 |
| 25th | 116 | 115 | 118 |
| 50th | 126 | 125 | 127 |
| 75th | 137 | 137 | 137 |
| 90th | 149 | 148 | 150 |
| 95th | 156 | 155 | 156 |
| 97th | 162 | 160 | 163 |
| 99th | 174 | 171 | 174 |
What it means
Under 1 year has its own age group, so these numbers are for that age only.
Exercise heart rate zones start at age 12, so at under 1 year we show the resting heart rate only.
Babies' hearts beat fast. A baby's resting heart rate is much faster than an adult's. It slows down gradually through childhood.
Why the first year is one group. The national CDC survey behind these numbers reports babies under 1 year as one group. The median is the middle value: half of babies are lower and half are higher.
One reading isn't the whole picture. A baby's heart rate goes up with crying, feeding, fever and activity. If you're worried about your baby's heart rate or breathing, call your baby's doctor.
How to check your baby's heart rate
- Check your baby's heart rate while they're calm or asleep.
- Count the beats for 30 seconds and double it.
- Use a resting count, not one taken during crying or feeding.
Nearby ages
Common questions
Short answers about how these calculators work.
Sources
Where these numbers come from
- Resting pulse rate reference data for children, adolescents, and adults: United States, 1999–2008 (opens in a new tab) - National Center for Health Statistics, CDC, 2011Typical resting heart rates by age and sex
- All about heart rate (opens in a new tab) - American Heart AssociationNormal resting heart rate range for adults
- Bradycardia: slow heart rate (opens in a new tab) - American Heart AssociationWhen a slow heart rate needs medical care
- Target heart rates chart (opens in a new tab) - American Heart AssociationHow to take your pulse
- Pulse (opens in a new tab) - MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of MedicineNormal heart rate ranges by age
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