Final answer:
The normal RR and HR for 1-3 year olds is option 'a. RR: 20-40, HR: 80-150', which aligns with the trends of decreasing respiratory rate from infancy to adolescence and the expected decrease in HR from newborn rates to that of young adults.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about defining normal respiratory rate (RR) and heart rate (HR) for children aged 1-3 years old. The normal respiratory rate for young children decreases as they age. For a child under 1, it is about 30-60 breaths per minute, but this decreases as they grow closer to adolescence, where it becomes more like that of an adult at 12-18 breaths per minute. For heart rates, there is variability depending on different factors, but generally, newborns have a resting HR of around 120 bpm and this decreases until young adulthood.
Considering these trends, the most accurate option for normal RR and HR for 1-3 year olds would be 'a. RR: 20-40, HR: 80-150'. This falls within the expected range observed as children grow past infancy and towards later childhood years.