Skip to content
My WebMD Sign In, Sign Up

Children's Health

Tools & Resources

Font Size

Normal breathing rates for children

Babies and children normally breathe faster than older children and adults. A child who has a fever or who feels anxious breathes faster than normal. The table below shows the normal rate of breathing for children.

Normal breathing rates for children
Age Breaths per minute

Newborn to 6 months

30-60

6 to 12 months

24-30

1 to 5 years

20-30

6 to 12 years

12-20

ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical ReviewerDavid Messenger, MD
Specialist Medical ReviewerKathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine
Last RevisedFebruary 25, 2010

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: February 25, 2010
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.

Today in Children’s Health

preschool age girl sitting at desk
Article
ADHD in Preschoolers?
look at my hand
Slideshow
Dirtiest Places Your Child Will Find
 
woman with cleaning products
Slideshow
10 Tips for Fast, Easy House Cleaning
tissue box
Quiz
Is It a Cold or the Flu?
 

worried kid
fitArticle
Kids' Top 6 Worries and How to Fix Them
boy on father's shoulder
Article
Early Signs of Hearing Loss
 
Child with red rash on cheeks
Slideshow
Common Skin Problems in Children
girl thinking
Article
Teen Drug Abuse: 9 Warning Signs
 

babyapp
New
Free Healthy Baby App for iPhone
Child with adhd
Slideshow
Symptoms of ADHD in Children
 
rl with friends
fitSlideshow
Help Your Child Feel Good About Herself
Syringes and graph illustration
Tool
Family Vaccine Manager
 
6-Week Challenges
Want to know more?
Eat Better Challenge - No diets here. One new healthy habit, one step at a time.
Get Up and Go Challenge - Get inspired and stay motivated.
Mood Boost Challenge - Fight the blahs, lower stress, and be happy.
I have read and agreed to WebMD's Privacy Policy.
Enter cell phone number
- -
Entering your cell phone number and pressing submit indicates you agree to receive text messages from WebMD related to this challenge. WebMD is utilizing a 3rd party vendor, CellTrust, to provide the messages. You can opt out at any time.
Standard text rates apply