Reference range variation in haematological indices amongst five different age groups of less than one year in...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Hematology
• Infant Health
• Clinical Pathology

Background:

• Establishing normative hematological values in infants is crucial for accurate diagnosis and monitoring.
• Variations in blood parameters can occur due to rapid physiological changes in early life.
• Limited local reference ranges may hinder precise clinical assessments in specific populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the reference ranges of essential hematological indices in healthy infants.
• To analyze age-related changes in these indices across five distinct infantile age groups (<1 year).
• To provide a localized dataset for neonatal and infant hematological assessment.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional study involving 2000 healthy infants (<1 year) across five age groups.
• Convenience sampling was employed at the Department of Hematology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.
• Hematological indices including MCV, MCHC, MCH, PCV, and RDW were analyzed in relation to infant age and sex.

Main Results:

• Significant variations in Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), and Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) were observed.
• A consistent decrease in all measured hematological indices was noted from the <27 days age group to the 1-year-old group.
• No significant differences were reported between male and female infants for these parameters.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully established reference ranges for key hematological indices in healthy infants aged <27 days to 1 year.
• A decline in MCV, MCHC, MCH, PCV, and RDW with increasing age is a significant finding in this cohort.
• The reported values serve as a valuable local reference standard for pediatricians and hematologists managing infants in this region.