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 		9000-30000
5000-19500
6000-17500
6000-17000
5500-15500 		mm3
Differential (manual) Neutrophils 0-1 month
1-3 months
3-6 months
6 months-5 years
5-18 years 		1000-20000
1000-9000
1000-8500
1500-8500
1700-7500 		mm3
Lymphocytes 0-1 month
1-3 months
3-6 months
6 months-1 year
1-2 years
2-5 years
5-18 years
18+ years 		2000-11000
2500-16500
4000-13500
4000-10500
3000-9500
2000-8000
1250-7000
875-3300 		mm3
Monocytes 0-1 month
1-3 months
3-12 months
1-2 years
2-5 years
5-18 years
18+ years 		540-1800
350-1365
300-875
300-850
275-775
28-825
130-860 		mm3
Eosinophils

0-1 month
1-3 months
3 months-1 year
1-2 years
2-5 years
5-18 years
18+ years

270-900
150-585
180-525
180-510
165-465
40-650
40-390 		mm3
Basophils 0-1 month
1 month-5 years
5-18 years
18+ years 		0-400
0-140
7-140
10-136 		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 - Assays with Separate Male/Female Ranges
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
Alpha Fetoprotein, Non-Pregnant 0-13 days
14-30 days
1 month
2 months
3 months
4 months
5 months
6-11 months
1 year
2 years
3+ years 		5,000-105,000
300-60,000
100-10,000
40-1,000
11-300
5-200
0-90
0-60
0-17
0-12
0-9 		5,000-105,000
300-60,000
100-10,000
40-1,000
11-300
5-200
0-90
0-97
0-41
0-12
0-9 		ng/mL
ng/mL
ng/mL
ng/mL
ng/mL
ng/mL
ng/mL
ng/mL
ng/mL
ng/mL
ng/mL
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
8.4-10.2
8.6-10.3 		mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
Phosphatase, Alkaline 1-30 days
31 days-1 year
1-3 years
4-6 years
7-9 years
10-12 years
13-15 years
16-18 years 		75-316
82-383
104-345
93-309
86-315
42-362
74-390
52-171 		48-406
124-341
108-317
96-297
69-325
51-332
50-162
47-119 		U/L
U/L
U/L
U/L
U/L
U/L
U/L
U/L
Progesterone < 2 years old
2-9 years old
10-17 years old 		0.87-3.37
< 0.2
adult levels generally achieved by puberty 		0.87-3.37
0.20-0.24
adult levels generally achieved by puberty 		ng/mL
ng/mL
Test Age Range Units
Testosterone, Total (Male) <1 month
1-5 months
6-24 months
2-5 years
6-9 years
10-11 years
12-13 years
14-15 years
16-18 years

Tanner stage 1
Tanner stage 2
Tanner stage 3
Tanner stage 4
Tanner stage 5 		75-400
14-363
< 37
< 19
< 13
3-327
29-432
40-778
238-1048

< 15
3-432
65-778
180-763
188-882 		ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL

ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
Testosterone, Total (Female) Up to 30 days
1-5 months
6-24 months
2-3 years
4-5 years
6-7 years
8-9 years
10-11 years
12-13 years
14-15 years
16-18 years

Tanner stage 1
Tanner stage 2
Tanner stage 3
Tanner stage 4-5 		20-64
< 20
< 9
< 20
< 30
< 13
1-8
3-32
3-50
6-52
9-58

< 17
< 40
5-63
6-58 		ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL

ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
ng/dL
Test Age Male Female Units
Iron (Transferrin) Saturation   20-50 15-50 %
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 - Assays with Genderless Ranges
Test
Age
Range
Units
Carbon dioxide (CO2
content=bicarb+dissolved CO2) 		Cordblood
Child 		15-20
18-27 		mEq/L
mEq/L

Creatinine

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

Premature
Neonates
2-12 months
1-2 years
3-4 years
5-6 years
7-8 years
9-10 years
11-12 years
13-15 years

Males 16 years +
Females 16 years+ 		0.3-1.o
0.2-0.9
0.2-0.4
0.2-0.5
0.3-0.7
0.3-0.7
0.2-0.6
0.3-0.7
0.3-0.9
0.4-0.9

0.6-1.2
0.5-1.0 		mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL
mg/dL

mg/dL
mg/dL
Glucose 0-1 month
1 month-adult 		50-99
65-139 		mg/dL
mg/dL
Iron Birth-4 months
5-23 months
24-35 months
3-11 years
12 years+ 		110-270
30-70
20-124
53-119
Use adults ranges 		mcg/dL
mcg/dL
mcg/dL
mcg/dL
N-terminal-pro-BNP 0-30 days
1-11 months
12-35 months
3-6 years
7-14 years
15-18 years 		263-6500
37-1000
39-675
23-327
10-242
6-207 		pg/mL
pg/mL
pg/mL
pg/mL
pg/mL
pg/mL
Percent Saturation Newborn
4-10 months
3-10 years 		65
25
30 		%
%
%
Phosphorus Newborn-11 months
12 months-15 years
16+ years 		4.2-9.0
3.2-6.3
2.7-4.5 		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 / 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
Calcium (ionized) Neonatal 4.2-5.9 mg/dL
Glucose 0-30 days
> 1month
Special Care Nursery: 		40-99
65-99
50-99 		mg/dL
pCO2 (Arterial) 0-18 years 30-40 mmHg
pCO2 (Venous/Capillary) 0-18 years
Boys:
Girls:
35-48
32-45
mmHg
pH (Arterial) 0-1 month
> 1 month 		7.32-7.42
7.35-7.45 		 
pH (Venous) 0-1 month
> 1 month 		7.30-7.40
7.33-7.43 		 
pH (Capillary) All ages 7.30-7.40  
pO2 (Arterial) 0-1 month
> 1month 		60-80
80-100 		mmHg
pO2 (Venous/Capillary) 0-18 years 50-65 mmHg
Potassium 0-10 days
> 10 days 		3.5-6.0
3.5-5.0 		mEq/L
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.