What is the normal respiratory rate for infants per minute?

• A. 15-30
• B. 25-50
• C. 20-40
• D. 30-60

Answer: (B)

Infants breathe faster than older children and adults because their bodies have high metabolic needs and smaller airways. A typical resting respiratory rate for an infant (roughly 1 month to 1 year) is about 25 to 50 breaths per minute. This range accommodates natural variability from crying, fever, sleep, or activity, and even brief irregular breathing patterns that can occur in normal infants. When you assess, count breaths for 30 seconds and multiply by two, or count for a full minute if the pattern seems irregular. Rates consistently above 50 suggest tachypnea and possible distress or illness, while rates well below 25 raise concern for inadequate respiratory effort. The 25–50 range is used because it best fits the common, healthy variability seen in infants.