Among toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children, which age group has the highest normal systolic blood pressure?

• A. Toddler
• B. Preschooler
• C. School-age
• D. Adolescent

Answer: (C)

In children, normal systolic blood pressure rises as they grow. As kids get older, their bodies become larger, their blood volume and cardiac output increase, and the arteries accommodate higher pressures. That means toddlers have the lowest typical systolic pressure, preschoolers have a bit higher, and school-age children have even higher normal values. Because of this gradual rise with age, the school-age group has the highest normal systolic blood pressure among the three groups.

Note that clinicians determine pediatric BP using age- and height-based percentile charts to decide what’s normal, prehypertensive, or hypertensive.