Blood Pressure

Health/ Nutrition

Doctors usually begin taking yearly blood pressure measurements at the 3-year well child visit.

Normal values for blood pressure change with age and are closely related to height and weight. Normal blood pressure values for children are lower than normal blood pressure values for adults. A normal blood pressure is less than: 105/60 for a 3-year-old; 115/75 for a 10-year-old; and 127/79 for a 15-year-old. (Adult values are considered normal if they are less than 130/85.)

Coughing, crying, struggling or anxiety can significantly increase the blood pressure in young children. Children can have high blood pressure for a number of reasons, but frequently it's due to a kidney problem.