Blood pressure in children
Babies, children and young people usually have lower blood pressure than adults. They have different ranges that are considered healthy. These depend on:
- how old they are
- whether they are a boy or a girl
- how tall they are
Your child’s doctor or nurse will know the normal ranges of blood pressure for children who are the same age, sex and height as your child. They will let you know what your child’s blood pressure readings mean.
Keeping healthy
Your family can follow some important tips to help keep your child’s blood pressure healthy. These include:
- avoid eating too much salt. Salted nuts, crisps, crackers, soft drinks, fast food meals, takeaways, processed foods or pre-prepared meals often have lots of salt in them. Do not add extra salt to meals that you cook, or at the dining table.
- eat a healthy diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid food and drinks with lots of added sugar (including sweets, sugary cereals, high-sugar squash and fizzy drinks or sodas). Limit caffeine (which is found in coke drinks, tea and coffee). Swap white bread, rice and pasta for wholewheat varieties.
- stay active. Most children should be physically active for at least 30 minutes a day. Encourage your child to take part in activities where they are moving around such as games and sports.
- keep your child at a healthy weight for their age and height. Children (and adults) who are overweight are more likely to develop high blood pressure.
If your child has a kidney condition, they may need to make more changes to what they eat and how much they drink. A kidney dietitian will help you with this.
Some children will also need to take medicines to control their blood pressure.