Blood pressure assessment in children and adolescents aged 2 to 17
Enter sex, age, height and the systolic and diastolic readings. You get the blood pressure classification for that age, sex and height, with the cut-off points used.
For: Children and adolescents aged 2 to 17 (age in completed years). Free, no sign-up. Everything is worked out in your browser and nothing is stored.
How blood pressure is assessed in children and adolescents
In childhood and adolescence blood pressure is not compared with a fixed value but with percentiles by age, sex and height. The calculator follows these steps:
- It places the height in the height percentile for that age and sex: 5, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90 or 95.
- With that height percentile it reads the systolic and diastolic cut-off points from the table.
- It classifies each reading separately.
- It reports the higher of the two classifications.
How to read the result
| Classification | Systolic or diastolic pressure |
|---|---|
| Normal | Below the 90th percentile |
| Prehypertension | From the 90th and below the 95th percentile |
| Stage 1 hypertension | From the 95th and below the 99th percentile + 5 mmHg |
| Stage 2 hypertension | 99th percentile + 5 mmHg or above |
The percentiles come from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) tables. Alongside the result, the mmHg values of each range are shown for the age, sex and height percentile used.
Readings are shown as the calculator reports them, using the Chilean wording for the classification.
Frequently asked questions
What ages does this calculator cover?
Children and adolescents aged 2 to 17. Age is entered in completed years; outside that range the calculator does not assess.
Why does it ask for height?
Because normal blood pressure values change with height. The calculator places the height in the height percentile for that age and sex (5, 10, 25, 50, 75, 90 or 95) and uses the cut-off points from that column of the table.
What do prehypertension, stage 1 and stage 2 hypertension mean?
They are ranges based on the blood pressure percentile for age, sex and height: normal below the 90th percentile; prehypertension from the 90th and below the 95th; stage 1 hypertension from the 95th and below the 99th plus 5 mmHg; stage 2 hypertension from the 99th plus 5 mmHg.
What if the systolic and diastolic readings give different classifications?
Each is classified separately and the final result is the higher of the two. For example, systolic in prehypertension and diastolic normal is reported as prehypertension.
Which tables does it use?
The Blood Pressure Tables for Children and Adolescents from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The Chilean reference is Orientaciones Técnicas para el Control de Salud Integral de Adolescentes, from the Chilean Ministry of Health (2016).
Is the data I enter stored?
No. Everything is worked out in your browser; no data is sent or stored.
Source
Orientaciones Técnicas para el Control de Salud Integral de Adolescentes (Technical guidance for the comprehensive health check-up of adolescents). Ministerio de Salud, Chile, 2016. Tables: Blood Pressure Tables for Children and Adolescents, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
A support tool for health professionals. It does not replace clinical assessment or the technical standard in force.