How to Take an Infant's Blood Pressure Reading

If your child was born premature, had a stay in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit or has had RSV or any other illness that can affect his blood pressure level, you may be asked to measure your baby's blood pressure. Taking a baby's blood pressure can be hard because babies squirm and the process is generally uncomfortable for them. Still, this is a crucial part of maintaining your child's health. Here is how you can take an infant's blood pressure reading.

Things You'll Need

• Blood pressure cuff
• Stethoscope

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Instructions

• 1

  Wait until the infant is relaxed and happy or even asleep. He will be less likely to wiggle around, allowing you to get a better reading.

• 2

  Place the baby's arm against his body and wrap the cuff around the arm where it is level with the heart.

• 3

  Using the bulb, pump up the pressure until you read 150mm hG.

• 4

  Place the stethoscope over the crease in the baby's elbow.

• 5

  Listen for a pulse sound with the cuff inflated. When you hear one, check the gauge and write down the number. This is the systolic pressure.

• 6

  Turn the valve on the blood pressure cuff to release the pressure. When the pulse sound disappears, check the gauge and write down the number. This is the diastolic pressure.

• 7

  Write the pressures as systolic pressure/diastolic pressure. A normal blood pressure reading for infants is in the range of 80/50.