NREMT Paramedic

Answer: B - The normal respiratory rate for an infant is 40 to 60 breaths per minute. Because the tidal volume of a newborn’s breath is so small - as little as 20-30cc - and their metabolic requirements so high, more breaths per minute are required to inspire adequate oxygen. As the lungs grow, the rate slows, so that at one year of age the normal rate range is between 24 and 40. For three to six year olds it’s between 22 and 24; for school age children (6-12), 18-30; and by the time a child hits puberty, the normal respiratory rate range is the same as an adult, 12-16 breaths per minute.