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Reference intervals for reticulocyte hemoglobin content in healthy infants

Anders Löfving1, Magnus Domellöf2, Lena Hellström-Westas3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Hospital of Halland, Halmstad, Sweden.

Pediatric Research
|August 25, 2018
PubMed

Insights

This study establishes reference intervals for reticulocyte hemoglobin content (Ret-He) in healthy infants, a key indicator for early iron deficiency detection. These findings aid in standardizing Ret-He as a pre-anemia biomarker in pediatrics.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Hematology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Childhood iron deficiency anemia is a significant global health concern.
  • Reticulocyte hemoglobin content (Ret-He) is an emerging biomarker for iron deficiency, but pediatric reference intervals are lacking.
  • Establishing these intervals is crucial for early detection and management of iron deficiency in infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine reference intervals for Reticulocyte Hemoglobin Content (Ret-He) in healthy infants.
  • To provide foundational data for standardizing Ret-He as a biomarker for pre-anemia iron deficiency in children.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal study involving 456 healthy Swedish infants born at term.
  • Ret-He measurements were taken at birth (umbilical cord), 48-72 hours, 4 months, and 12 months.
  • Reference intervals were calculated using the mean ±2 standard deviations.

Main Results:

  • Established reference intervals for Ret-He across different infant age points (e.g., 27.4-36.0 pg/L at birth, 24.9-34.1 pg/L at 12 months).
  • Significantly lower Ret-He levels were observed in iron-deficient infants at 4 and 12 months.
  • Mean Ret-He differences in iron-deficient infants were -4.2 pg/L at 4 months and -3.4 pg/L at 12 months.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides the first reference intervals for Ret-He in non-anemic, non-iron-deficient infants.
  • These data represent a significant step towards the clinical standardization of Ret-He.
  • Ret-He can serve as a valuable pre-anemia biomarker for iron deficiency in pediatric populations.
Abstract

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