What is the normal pulse rate range for toddlers?

• A. 60 to 90
• B. 80 to 120
• C. 90 to 140
• D. 100 to 160

Answer: (C)

Age-specific vital signs show that a toddler’s normal resting pulse is higher than an adult’s. For children around 1 to 3 years old, a typical resting heart rate falls in the 90 to 140 beats per minute range. This reflects their higher metabolic rate and the way their autonomic system regulates the heart during early childhood. When you assess a toddler, consider activity, warmth, and emotional state, because fever, crying, or distress can push the rate higher, while being calm brings it toward the lower end of this range. Values significantly below 90 or above about 140 warrant further evaluation for dehydration, fever, pain, hypoxia, or shock. The other ranges either miss the normal breadth seen in toddlers or extend into numbers that would be expected only in more extreme or active states, so 90 to 140 bpm is the best descriptor of a normal toddler pulse.