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.

Hematology

Test Age Range Units
Red Cell Count 0–1 month 3.90–5.90 millions/mm3
1–2 months 3.10–5.30
2–3 months 2.70–4.50
3–6 months 3.10–5.10
6 months–1 year 3.90–5.50
Hematocrit 0–1 month 42–65 %
1–2 months 33–55
2–3 months 28–41
3–6 months 29–41
6 months–1 year 31–41
Hemoglobin 0–1 month 13.4–19.9 gm/dL
1–2 months 10.7–17.1
2–3 months 9.0–14.1
3–6 months 9.5–14.1
6 months–1 year 11.3–14.1
MCH 0–1 month 31–37 pg
1–3 months 27–36
3–6 months 25–35
6 months–1 year 23–31
MCHC 0–6 months 28–36 g/dL RBC
6 months–1 year 32–36
MCV 0–1 month 88–123 femtoliters
1–3 months 91–112
3–6 months 74–108
6 months–1 year 70–85
White Cell Count 0–1 month 9000–30000 mm3
1–3 months 5000–19500
3 months–1 year 6000–17500
1–2 years 6000–17000
2–4 years 5500–15500
Differential (manual) Neutrophils 0–1 month 1000–20000 mm3
1–3 months 1000–9000
3–6 months 1000–8500
6 months–5 years 1500–8500
5–18 years 1700–7500
Lymphocytes 0–1 month 2000–11000 mm3
1–3 months 2500–16500
3–6 months 4000–13500
6 months–1 year 4000–10500
1–2 years 3000–9500
2–5 years 2000–8000
5–18 years 1250–7000
18+ years 875–3300
Monocytes 0–1 month 540–1800 mm3
1–3 months 350–1365
3–12 months 300–875
1–2 years 300–850
2–5 years 275–775
5–18 years 28–825
18+ years 130–860
Eosinophils 0–1 month 270–900 mm3
1–3 months 150–585
3 months–1 year 180–525
1–2 years 180–510
2–5 years 165–465
5–18 years 40–650
18+ years 40–390
Basophils 0–1 month 0–400 mm3
1 month–5 years 0–140
5–18 years 7–140
18+ years 10–136

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 – Assays with Separate Male/Female Ranges

Test Age Male Female Units
Albumin 0–4 days 2.8–4.4 2.8–4.4 g/dL
4 days–14 years 3.8–5.4 3.8–5.4 g/dL
14–18 years 3.2–4.5 3.2–4.5 g/dL
Alpha Fetoprotein, Non-Pregnant 0–13 days 5,000–105,000 5,000–105,000 ng/mL
14–30 days 300–60,000 300–60,000 ng/mL
1 month 100–10,000 100–10,000 ng/mL
2 months 40–1,000 40–1,000 ng/mL
3 months 11–300 11–300 ng/mL
4 months 5–200 5–200 ng/mL
5 months 0–90 0–90 ng/mL
6–11 months 0–60 0–97 ng/mL
1 year 0–17 0–41 ng/mL
2 years 0–12 0–12 ng/mL
3+ years 0–9 0–9 ng/mL
Calcium (Total) Birth–30 days 8.5–10.6 8.4–10.6 mg/dL
31 days–1 year 8.7–10.5 8.9–10.5 mg/dL
1–6 years 8.8–10.6 8.5–10.5 mg/dL
7–12 years 8.7–10.3 8.5–10.3 mg/dL
13–15 years 8.5–10.2 8.4–10.2 mg/dL
16–18 years 8.4–10.3 8.6–10.3 mg/dL
Phosphatase, Alkaline 1–30 days 75–316 48–406 U/L
31 days–1 year 82–383 124–341 U/L
1–3 years 104–345 108–317 U/L
4–6 years 93–309 96–297 U/L
7–9 years 86–315 69–325 U/L
10–12 years 42–362 51–332 U/L
13–15 years 74–390 50–162 U/L
16–18 years 52–171 47–119 U/L
Progesterone < 2 years old 0.87–3.37 0.87–3.37 ng/mL
2–9 years old < 0.2 0.20–0.24 ng/mL
10–17 years old adult levels generally achieved by puberty adult levels generally achieved by puberty

Test Age Range Units
Testosterone, Total (Male) < 1 month 75–400 ng/dL
1–5 months 14–363 ng/dL
6–24 months < 37 ng/dL
2–5 years < 19 ng/dL
6–9 years < 13 ng/dL
10–11 years 3–327 ng/dL
12–13 years 29–432 ng/dL
14–15 years 40–778 ng/dL
16–18 years 238–1048 ng/dL
Tanner stage 1 < 15 ng/dL
Tanner stage 2 3–432 ng/dL
Tanner stage 3 65–778 ng/dL
Tanner stage 4 180–763 ng/dL
Tanner stage 5 188–882 ng/dL
Testosterone, Total (Female) Up to 30 days 20–64 ng/dL
1–5 months < 20 ng/dL
6–24 months < 9 ng/dL
2–3 years < 20 ng/dL
4–5 years < 30 ng/dL
6–7 years < 13 ng/dL
8–9 years 1–8 ng/dL
10–11 years 3–32 ng/dL
12–13 years 3–50 ng/dL
14–15 years 6–52 ng/dL
16–18 years 9–58 ng/dL
Tanner stage 1 < 17 ng/dL
Tanner stage 2 < 40 ng/dL
Tanner stage 3 5–63 ng/dL
Tanner stage 4–5 6–58 ng/dL

Test Age Male Female Units
Iron (Transferrin) Saturation All ages 20–50 15–50 %
Total Protein Birth–31 days 4.1–6.3 4.2–6.2 g/dL
1–6 months 4.7–6.7 4.4–6.6 g/dL
6 months–1 year 5.5–7.0 5.6–7.9 g/dL
1–18 years 5.7–8.0 5.7–8.0 g/dL

Chemistry - Assays with Genderless Ranges

Test Age Range Units
Carbon dioxide (CO2
content = bicarb + dissolved CO2)		 Cord blood 15–20 mEq/L
Child 18–27 mEq/L

Creatinine

Note: There are gender-specific ranges only for ages 16 years and older.

Premature 0.3–1.0 mg/dL
Neonates 0.2–0.9 mg/dL
2–12 months 0.2–0.4 mg/dL
1–2 years 0.2–0.5 mg/dL
3–4 years 0.3–0.7 mg/dL
5–6 years 0.3–0.7 mg/dL
7–8 years 0.2–0.6 mg/dL
9–10 years 0.3–0.7 mg/dL
11–12 years 0.3–0.9 mg/dL
13–15 years 0.4–0.9 mg/dL
Males 16 years + 0.6–1.2 mg/dL
Females 16 years + 0.5–1.0 mg/dL
Glucose 0–1 month 50–99 mg/dL
1 month–adult 65–139 mg/dL
Iron Birth–4 months 110–270 mcg/dL
5–23 months 30–70 mcg/dL
24–35 months 20–124 mcg/dL
3–11 years 53–119 mcg/dL
12 years+ Use adult ranges
N-terminal-pro-BNP 0–30 days 263–6500 pg/mL
1–11 months 37–1000 pg/mL
12–35 months 39–675 pg/mL
3–6 years 23–327 pg/mL
7–14 years 10–242 pg/mL
15–18 years 6–207 pg/mL
Percent Saturation Newborn 65 %
4–10 months 25 %
3–10 years 30 %
Phosphorus Newborn–11 months 4.2–9.0 mg/dL
12 months–15 years 3.2–6.3 mg/dL
16+ years 2.7–4.5 mg/dL
Potassium <10 days 3.5–6.0 mEq/L
>10 days 3.5–5.0 mEq/L
Sodium Premature 130–140 mEq/L
Uric Acid 0–2 years 2.0–7.0 mg/dL
2–12 years 2.0–6.5 mg/dL
12–14 years 2.0–7.0 mg/dL

Critical Care / Special Care Nurseries

Test Age Range Units
Bilirubin cord 24 hrs < 1.8 mg/dL
Preterm < or = 6.0 mg/dL
Term < or = 6.0 mg/dL
48 hrs
Preterm < or = 8.0 mg/dL
Term < or = 7.0 mg/dL
3–5 days
Preterm < or = 12.0 mg/dL
Term < or = 12.0 mg/dL
1m-adult < 1.0 mg/dL
Calcium (ionized) Neonatal 4.2–5.9 mg/dL
Glucose 0–30 days 40–99 mg/dL
>1 month 65–99 mg/dL
Special Care Nursery 50–99 mg/dL
pCO2 (Arterial) 0–18 years 30–40 mmHg
pCO2 (Venous/Capillary) 0–18 years
Boys 35–48 mmHg
Girls 32–45
pH (Arterial) 0–1 month 7.32–7.42
>1 month 7.35–7.45
pH (Venous) 0–1 month 7.30–7.40
>1 month 7.33–7.43
pH (Capillary) All ages 7.30–7.40
pO2 (Arterial) 0–1 month 60–80 mmHg
>1 month 80–100
pO2 (Venous/Capillary) 0–18 years 50–65 mmHg
Potassium 0–10 days 3.5–6.0 mEq/L
>10 days 3.5–5.0

Hemoglobin and Hematocrit Ranges

 
Hemoglobin
 Hematocrit
Age Male Female Male Female
0–31 days 13.4–19.9 13.4–19.9 42–64% 42–64%
31 days–2 months 10.7–17.1 10.7–17.1 33–54% 33–54%
2–3 months 9.0–14.1 9.0–14.1 28–41% 28–41%
3–6 months 9.5–14.1 9.5–14.1 29–41% 29–41%
6 months–1 year 11.3–14.1 11.3–14.1 31–41% 31–41%
1–5 years 10.9–15.0 10.9–15.0 31–44% 31–44%
5–11 years 11.9–15.0 11.9–15.0 35–44% 35–44%
11–18 years 12.7–17.7 11.9–15.0 37–48% 34–44%

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.