Q:
At her kindergarten physical my daughter had her blood pressure checked. I think it was the first time. Wherever I look on the Internet, I find adult blood pressure readings. What is a normal blood pressure in a 5-year- old girl?
Dr. Greene’s Answer:
Boys generally have higher normal blood pressures than girls of the same age. Taller children have higher normal blood pressures than shorter children of the same age. For an average 5 year old girl, a normal blood pressure would be less than 106/68. A complete table of normal blood pressures for children can be found at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/hypertension/child_tbl.htm.
Last reviewed: July 14, 2010
