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1 Count breaths
2Assess result
ASSESSING SYMPTOMS( CHILDREN)
71
CHECKING BREATHING RATE

1 Count breaths

• Place your hand on the child’ s chest or back so that you are able to feel the breaths.
• Count the number of breaths he or she takes in 1 minute.
Use your hand to feel how fast the baby is breathing

2Assess result

• Compare the child’ s breathing rate with the maximum rate for his or her age shown in the table below.
• Note the quality of the breathing: if it is fast or slow, easy or labored.
AGE BREATHS PER MINUTE
Under 2 months
Maximum of 60 breaths
2 – 11 months
Maximum of 50 breaths
1 – 5 years
Maximum of 40 breaths
Over 5 years
Maximum of 30 breaths
ASSESSING HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
Find your child’ s age on the bottom and follow a vertical line up, then find the height or weight on the left and follow a horizontal line across. Mark the point where the lines cross. The shaded band shows the normal range of growth, and the 5th, 50th, and 95th percentile lines indicate lower, middle, and upper limits respectively. If your child’ s measurements fall outside the band, see your doctor. in cm
BOYS’ HEIGHT
70
180
65 60 55
170 160 150 140
95th percentile
50 45
130
120
50th percentile
110
40 35 30 25 20
100 90 80 70 60 50 40
5th percentile
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11
12
AGE( years)
in cm
GIRLS’ HEIGHT
70
180
65 60 55
170 160 150 140
95th percentile
50 45
130
120
50th percentile
110
40 35 30 25 20
100 90 80 70 60 50 40
5th percentile
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11
12
AGE( years)
lb
kg 70
BOYS’ WEIGHT
lb
kg 70
GIRLS’ WEIGHT
140 120 100
80
60
50
40
95th percentile
140 120 100
80
60
50
40
95th percentile
60
40
20
30
20
10
50th percentile
5th percentile
60
40
20
30
20
10
50th percentile
5th percentile
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
AGE( years)
0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 AGE( years)