A nurse is assessing the vital signs of a 6-month-old infant. Which of the following respiratory rates would be within the expected reference range?

Assessment of respiratory rate in a 6-month-old infant is part of routine vital sign monitoring to evaluate cardiopulmonary function and detect early signs of distress or illness. Infants have higher metabolic demands and smaller airway structures, which result in naturally faster breathing rates compared to older children and adults. Normal respiratory ranges vary by age and must be interpreted using pediatric reference standards. Deviations from expected values may indicate respiratory compromise or systemic disease. A. A respiratory rate of 44 breaths per minute falls within the expected normal range for a 6-month-old infant, which is approximately 30–60 breaths per minute. This reflects normal physiologic respiratory demand in infancy, where oxygen consumption is higher and lung capacity is smaller. The rate is consistent with stable cardiopulmonary function in this age group. B. A respiratory rate of 20 breaths per minute is below the expected range for a 6-month-old infant and may indicate bradypnea. This could suggest central nervous system depression, medication effects, or inadequate respiratory drive. In infants, such a low rate requires further assessment for hypoxia or underlying pathology. C. A respiratory rate of 70 breaths per minute is above the normal range and indicates tachypnea. This may be associated with respiratory distress, fever, infection such as bronchiolitis, or metabolic acidosis. Such an elevated rate in an infant warrants immediate further assessment for work of breathing and oxygenation status. D. A respiratory rate of 12 breaths per minute is significantly below normal for an infant and is concerning for severe respiratory depression or failure. This may occur in cases of CNS suppression, overdose, or advanced illness. It requires urgent intervention due to risk of inadequate oxygenation and ventilation.