Final answer:
Normal pediatric heart rates when awake vary with age, starting at about 120 bpm for newborns and decreasing as they approach adolescence. While tachycardia is defined as over 100 bpm in adults, in children, higher rates are considered normal and are not automatically indicative of this condition.
Step-by-step explanation:
The normal heart rates (HR) for children vary with age. For newborns, the normal resting HR can be approximately 120 beats per minute (bpm). As children grow, the HR decreases; it is normal for this rate to gradually decrease until young adulthood before it begins to increase slightly again with age.
In pediatric patients, a condition known as tachycardia is described as a HR above 100 bpm. However, it's important to note that normal resting HRs for children can often be above 100 bpm, and this is not considered tachycardia in the pediatric population. Conversely, bradycardia in children would be defined as a HR that is too low, with different thresholds based on age.
Regarding newborns specifically, it's also crucial to consider the Apgar score, taken at 1 minute and 5 minutes post-birth, where heart rate is a critical component. Newborns typically start with intermediate scores that improve by the 5-minute assessment, indicating health and normal function.
It remains important to account for individual variations and the context such as whether the child is at rest or if there are other accompanying symptoms, as these factors can affect interpretations of what is a 'normal' HR.