Caring and attentive mothers always monitor the health status of their child. For parents, the most important thing is that their baby is healthy. Important indicators for evaluating the functioning of the cardiovascular system are pulse and blood pressure. These values are different at different ages. Moms should know the distinctive features and regulatory indicators.
Features of baby pressure
The children's body grows, the blood pressure on the walls of the vessels changes. In babies, they are very elastic, the lumen is wider, and therefore blood pressure is lower. With age, the vessels lengthen, the child grows, and the speed of blood flow decreases. The lumen of the blood vessels narrows and the blood pressure rises.
After five years, boys have a little more blood pressure than their girlfriends of the same age. The pressure in children of 10 years (normal) is close to the testimony of an adult, as the child is approaching the puberty of his development.
Factors affecting blood pressure in children
Children aged 10 years are usually very mobile and emotional. And many factors influence the baby’s blood pressure . Among them are the following:
1. Weight and height.
2. The work of the heart.
3. The condition of blood vessels and arteries.
4. Physical and mental stress (the child’s fatigue will be very reflected).
5. Emotional state. We know that children at this age are impressionable and vulnerable.
6. Diseases of the child. The presence of various pathologies.
7. The environment. Children in the northern regions have lower rates than residents from the southern part of the country.
8. Hereditary factor.
All these components are interconnected. Also, food intake and the time of day when pressure is measured will have an impact on the performance.
What is normal pressure in children 10 years old?
There is a formula by which you can calculate the pressure of a particular child. The pressure in children of 10 years (normal) is the maximum systolic up to 120 mm. Hg. Art. and up to 70 mmHg. Art. - diastolic.
Systolic is calculated as follows: 90 + age multiplied by two. This means that for a ten-year-old child this will be 90 + 10 * 2 = 110. Diastolic: 60 + age, then 60 + 10 = 70. The optimal pressure of a child of 10 years is the norm - 110/70. Deviations from these indicators by 10-20 units are allowed, taking into account factors affecting the baby. Of course, one cannot ignore the pulse. It is necessary to pay attention to its rhythm, tension. In a child of 10 years, it is 75-80 strokes in one minute.
How to measure the pressure of the child
Electronic tonometers are widely used to measure these indicators. They are simple and convenient to use at home. When measuring pressure in children of 10 years, the norm should be about 110-120 mm. Hg. Art. 70 mm. Hg. Art. These indicators may have deviations upward if the child was actively moving before the measurement.
To correctly measure the pressure, you need to follow a few rules:
- It must be measured in a calm state. It is forbidden to move and talk at this moment.
- You need to use a special cuff for children. Its width should not be more than 2/3 of the length of the shoulder.
- If the measurements are carried out at intervals, then it must be measured in one position, sitting or lying down.
Blood pressure is recommended to be measured in the morning or after the child rests for at least 15 minutes. Place your hand at the heart level, palm up. The cuff is worn on the arm without clothes 2-3 cm above the elbow. The hand should not be squeezed by clothes. The cuff does not need to be tightened, there must be space for one finger between it and the arm. The best option for a child is to measure blood pressure 3 times with the same time interval in one position to see the full picture of the changes. More accurate will be considered the lowest readings.
Deviations from the norm
If a child has health problems, then it is imperative to monitor blood pressure indicators. When blood pressure is below normal, metabolism is disturbed, tissues are poorly enriched with oxygen. A malfunction may occur in the work of internal organs: liver, kidneys, heart, endocrine system suffers. If the pressure is above normal, blood vessels rupture and even hemorrhage can occur, but, fortunately, this is very rare in children. If the pressure in a child of 10 years is normal, the pulse also corresponds to age, then everything is in order with health. With deviations from normal values, to a greater or lesser extent, diseases such as hypertension or hypotension can already be suspected. It is from the age of ten that a doctor can diagnose these diseases.
Hypertension and its symptoms
In childhood, hypertension is of two types: primary and secondary. Primary is a temporary increase in pressure associated with physical or emotional stress. This increase is not permanent. We can observe it in completely healthy children.
Secondary hypertension, or arterial, is a steady increase in pressure over time. It is associated with the presence of certain pathologies in the body:
- Kidney disease.
- Problems in the endocrine system.
- Most often, hypertension is observed in obese children who are prone to obesity.
An increase in pressure in the body, even for a short time, leads to undesirable changes in the functioning of organs. This primarily affects the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. The vessels narrow, their walls thicken, thereby not providing a full flow of blood to the organs. The heart muscle is poorly supplied, works hard, which means that its density increases. As a result, the walls of the arteries thicken, the nutrition of the tissues worsens, which weakens the body as a whole.
Children, as a rule, do not feel any symptoms of high blood pressure, which can not be said about low rates.
Hypotension and its symptoms
If the pressure in children of 10 years is normal, the pulse is normal, then your child is completely healthy. In the case when the indicators are significantly reduced, then we can already talk about hypotension. It is possible to observe after a long illness or great emotional stress.
Symptoms indicating low blood pressure:
- General weakness is characteristic.
- Fast fatiguability.
- Headache.
- It is hard to wake up in the morning.
- Increased sweating during physical activity.
First of all, such a child needs to examine the heart and blood vessels.
Treatment and prevention
How to treat hypertension or hypotension in children? First, a thorough examination should be carried out to identify diseases that provoked an increase or decrease in pressure. In no case should you self-medicate. All drugs should be prescribed by a specialist.
For the prevention of hypertension, an important role is played by proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. Watch your diet carefully: meals should not contain a lot of salt and fat. Sitting at the computer, as it is now fashionable, you need to minimize, move more and do physical exercises. All this, combined with proper nutrition, will give a positive momentum. If within a few days to measure blood pressure, and the indicators will be 120 to 70, then we can say that the pressure in children 10 years old is the norm. So your efforts were not in vain.
For the prevention of hypotension in the first place we put physical exercises with gradually increasing loads and, of course, a full and healthy diet. Quenching has a very good effect on these children.
The child should take the drugs clearly under the supervision of the parents. Adults themselves should become an example for their child. If necessary, then reconsider eating habits, end a sedentary lifestyle. Thus, you will help your child cope with his illness. The pressure of a child of 10 years plays a large role in its subsequent development and the formation of a growing organism.