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Hypertension (high blood pressure) is an important health issue in children, because of its association with obesity. High blood pressure is considered a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, and high BP in childhood has been linked to high BP in adulthood.
This calculator can help to determine whether a child has a healthy blood pressure for his/her height, age and gender. In boys and girls, the normal range of blood pressure varies based on height percentile and age. This calculator automatically adjusts for differences in height, age and gender, calculating a child's height percentile along with blood pressure percentile. The normal blood pressure range, while steadily increasing with age, will shift based on the child's height.
The BP reference data include the 50th, 90th, 95th, and 99th percentiles for age and height for both boys and girls. So the graphs on this page show the upper half of the blood pressure range found in children. Normal BP is defined as systolic and diastolic blood pressures that are below the 90th percentile. The systolic number represents BP in blood vessels when a heart beats. The diastolic number is the pressure in blood vessels between beats, when the heart is at rest.
The graphs on this page have been updated to reflect the most recent guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The new normative pediatric BP tables are now based on normal-weight children. Unlike the previous tables, these BP reference values do not include children and adolescents with overweight and obesity. The strong association of both overweight and obesity with elevated BP and hypertension (HTN) was thought to bias the previous results. (See Flynn et al, Pediatrics, 2017)
Blood pressure is not always consistent, and can vary even when the child is resting. Thus, elevated BP readings should be repeated and confirmed over several visits before a child is identified as having hypertension. The most precise measure of a child's BP is an average of multiple measurements taken over several weeks (or even months) by a health professional.
A common approach is to obtain 3 assessments from different days to more reliably measure blood pressure.
The tools provided here are based on publicly available data from the following source:
Flynn JT, Kaelber DC, Baker-Smith CM, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline for Screening and Management of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics 2017; 140(3):e20171904.
BP-for-age status categories and their related percentile ranges are shown in the following table:
| Definitions of BP Categories & Stages | ||
| Category | For Children Aged 1 to <13 y | For Children Aged ≥13 y |
| Normal BP: | <90th percentile | <120/<80 mmHg |
| Elevated BP: | ≥90th to <95th percentile or 120/80 mmHg to <95th percentile (whichever is lower) |
120/<80 to 129/<80 mmHg |
| Stage 1 HTN: | ≥95th to <95th percentile+12 mmHg or 130/80 to 139/89 mmHg (whichever is lower) |
130/80 to 139/89 mmHg |
| Stage 2 HTN: | ≥95th percentile+12 mmHg or ≥140/90 mmHg (whichever is lower) |
≥140/90 |
The new guidelines also include a simplified table designed to be used as a screening tool to identify children and adolescents needing further evaluation. Thus, the simplified table may be used to determine when a BP measurement should be repeated. It is not meant to be used to diagnose elevated BP or HTN. It is important to use the values in the BP reference tables or tools such as the calculators on this page to diagnose elevated BP or HTN. Depending on the child’s height and age, values in the simplified table may differ from reference values.
| Simplified Screening BP Table - Further Evaluation Required | ||||
| BOYS | GIRLS | |||
| Age | Systolic | Diastolic | Systolic | Diastolic |
| 1 | 98 | 52 | 98 | 54 |
| 2 | 100 | 55 | 101 | 58 |
| 3 | 101 | 58 | 102 | 60 |
| 4 | 102 | 60 | 103 | 62 |
| 5 | 103 | 63 | 104 | 64 |
| 6 | 105 | 66 | 105 | 67 |
| 7 | 106 | 68 | 106 | 68 |
| 8 | 107 | 69 | 107 | 69 |
| 9 | 107 | 70 | 108 | 71 |
| 10 | 108 | 72 | 109 | 72 |
| 11 | 110 | 74 | 111 | 74 |
| 12 | 113 | 75 | 114 | 75 |
| ≥13 | 120 | 80 | 120 | 80 |
Return to the CNRC Interactive Calculators
Individual results, when compared to other children, can be affected by many factors. Thus, this software should not be used for medical diagnostic or treatment purposes. Additionally, the authors and their affiliated institutions are not liable for any damages to users or third parties arising from the use of this software.
This software is protected under international copyright law. Unauthorized duplication or distribution is a violation of copyright. Entering this section of the web site implies acceptance of the conditions stated above.
These tools are created and maintained by the Children's Nutrition Research Center (CNRC) which houses laboratories of varied disciplines, a vast array of state-of-the-art equipment, a greenhouse, observation labs and accommodations for research volunteers, a metabolic kitchen, and an elite group of scientists conducting groundbreaking research. Visit the CNRC.
Shypailo RJ (2018) Age-based Pediatric Blood Pressure Reference Charts. Retrieved
from the Baylor College of Medicine, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Body
Composition
Laboratory
Web Site:
http://www.bcm.edu/bodycomplab/BPappZjs/BPvAgeAPPz.htm
National High Blood Pressure Education Program Working Group on High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents. The fourth report on the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of high blood pressure in children and adolescents. Pediatrics 2004; 114(2 Suppl 4th Report): 555-76.
Rosner B, Cook N, Portman R, Daniels S, Falkner B. Determination of blood pressure percentiles in normal-weight children: some methodological issues. Am J Epidemiol 2008; 167(6): 653-66.
Flynn JT, Kaelber DC, Baker-Smith CM, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline for Screening and Management of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics 2017; 140(3):e20171904.
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