Is a heart rate of 120 beats per minute normal for a child?
Disease description:
Recently, my daughter has been feeling unwell, and her heart rate was measured at 120 beats per minute. Is a heart rate of 120 bpm normal for a child?
Doctor's answer (2)
Dr. Kou Linlin
Abnormal. A 7-year-old child’s normal heart rate is approximately 90 beats per minute. It is recommended to measure the child’s heart rate several times. If the reading consistently remains at 120 beats per minute, this indicates tachycardia, and the child should be evaluated at a hospital with an electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiography to assess for potential cardiac abnormalities. Heart rate may transiently increase during fever or after physical activity—this is physiologically normal; however, heart rate measurements taken under these conditions are not reliable and should be avoided.
