Pediatric Reference Ranges

Listed in this appendix are pediatric normal ranges for some of the more common hematology and chemistry tests along with the references from which they were obtained.

Test Age Range Units
Red Cell Count 0-1 month
1-2 months
2-3 months
3-6 months
6 months-1 year		 3.90-5.90
3.10-5.30
2.70-4.50
3.10-5.10
3.90-5.50		 millions/mm3
Hematocrit 0-1 month
1-2 months
2-3 months
3-6 months
6 months-1 year		 42-65
33-55
28-41
29-41
31-41		 %
Hemoglobin 0-1 month
1-2 months
2-3 months
3-6 months
6 months-1 year		 13.4-19.9
10.7-17.1
9.0-14.1
9.5-14.1
11.3-14.1		 gm/dL
MCH 0-1 month
1-3 months
3-6 months
6 months-1 year		 31-37
27-36
25-35
23-31		 pg
MCHC 0-6 months
6 months-1 year		 28-36
32-36		 g/dl RBC
MCV 0-1 month
1-3 months
3-6 months
6 months-1 year		 88-123
91-112
74-108
70- 85		 femtoliters
White Cell Count 0-1 month
1-3 months
3 months-1 year
1-2 years
2-4 years		 9.0-30.0
5.0-19.5
6.0-17.5
6.0-17.0
5.5-15.5		 k/mm3
Differential (manual) Neutrophils 0-1 month
1-3 months
3-6 months
6 months-1 year
1-2 years
2-4 years		 1.0-20.0
1.0- 9.0
1.0- 8.5
1.5- 8.5
1.5-8.5
1.5-8.5		 k/mm3
Lymphocytes 0-1 month
1-3 months
3-6 months
6 months-1 years
1-2 years
2-4 years		 2.0-11.0
2.5-16.5
4.0-13.5
4.0-10.5
3.0-9.5
2.0-8.0		 k/mm3
Monocytes 0-1 month
1-3 months
3-6 months
3 months-1 year
1-2 years
2-4 years		 mean 1.1
mean 0.7
mean 0.6
mean 0.6
mean 0.5
mean 0.5		 k/mm3
Eosinophils 0-1 month
1-3 months
3-6 months
6 months-1 year
1-2 years
2-4 years		 mean 0.5
mean 0.4
mean 0.3
mean 0.3
mean 0.3
mean 0.3		 k/mm3

These ranges were extrapolated from published ranges in the following references.
  1. Nathan, David G. And Oski, Frank A. "Hematology of Infancy and Childhood", third addition, 1987.

  2. Lanzkowsky, Philip, "Pediatric Hematology-Oncology, a Treatise for the Clinician", 1980.

  3. Miller, Dennis R. Ed. "Blood Diseases of Infancy and Childhood", fifth edition, 1984.

Chemistry
Test Age Male Female Units
Albumin 0-4 days
4 days-14 years
14-18 years		 2.8-4.4
3.8-5.4
3.2-4.5		 2.8-4.4
3.8-5.4
3.2-4.5		 g/dL
g/dL
g/dL
Calcium (total) Birth-30 days
31 days-1 year
1-6 years
7-12 years
13-15 years
16-18 years		 8.5-10.6
8.7-10.5
8.8-10.6
8.7-10.3
8.5-10.2
8.4-10.3		 8.4-10.6
8.9-10.5
8.5-10.5
8.5-10.3
8.4-10.0
8.6-9.8		 mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
Creatinine Birth-30 days
31 days-3 years
4-6 years
7-12 years
13-15 years
16-18 years		 0.5-1.2
0.4-0.7
0.5-0.8
0.6-1.0
0.6-1.2
0.8-1.4		 0.5-0.9
0.4-0.7
0.5-0.8
0.6-1.0
0.7-1.1
0.8-1.2		 mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
Total Protein Birth-31 days
1-6 months
6 months-1 year
1-18 years		 4.1-6.3
4.7-6.7
5.5-7.0
5.7-8.0		 4.2-6.2
4.4-6.6
5.6-7.9
5.7-8.0		 g/dL
g/dL
g/dL
g/dL

Chemistry
Test
Age
Range
 Units
Carbon dioxide (CO2
content=bicarb+dissolved CO2)		 Cordblood
Child		 15-20
18-27		 mEq/l
mEq/l
Glucose 0-1 month
1 months-adult		 40-99
65-99		 mg/dL
mg/dL
Iron Birth-4 months
4 months-1 year
2-3 years
3-10 years		 110-270
30-70
20-124
53-119		 mcg/dL
mcg/dL
mcg/dL
mcg/dL
Iron Binding Capacity Birth-4 months
4 months-10 years		 59-175
250-400		 mcg/dL
mcg/dL
Percent Saturation Newborn
4-10 months
3-10 years		 65
25
30		 %
%
%
Phosphorus Newborn
1 year
2-5 years		 4.2-9.0
3.8-6.2
3.5-6.8		 mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
Potassium <10 days
>10 days		 3.5-6.0
3.5-5.0		 mEq/l
mEq/l
Sodium Premature 130-140 mEq/l
Uric Acid 0-2 years
2-12 years
12-14 years		 2.0-7.0
2.0-6.5
2.0-7.0		 mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL

Critical Care
Test
Age
Range
 Units
Calcium (ionized) Neonatal 4.2-5.9* mg/dL

Special Care Nurseries
Test
Age
Range
 Units
Bilirubin cord 24 hrs
Preterm
Term
48 hrs
Preterm
Term
3-5 days
Preterm
Term
1m-adult		 <1.8
< or = 6.0
< or = 6.0

< or = 8.0
< or = 7.0

< or =12.0
< or =12.0
< 1.0		 mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL

mg/dL
mg/dL

mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
References:

*Neonatal reference values for ionized calcium; "Scand. J Lab Invest". 1987, 47: 111-117.
  1. Meites, S. Ed. "Pediatric Clinical Chemistry", 2nd edition.

  2. "The American Association for Clinical Chemistry", 1981; Tietz, NW.

  3. "The Textbook of Clinical Chemistry", 1984.

  4. Lundberg, GD, et al."JAMA", 1986, 255: 2329-39.

  5. Scully, RE, et al. "New England Journal of Medicine" 1986, 314:39-49.

  6. Diabetes Care 28 (Suppl 1) S41, 2005.