III. Normal Values per age (-2 SD to +2 SD)

  1. Birth: 42 to 64% (mean 51%)
  2. Age <1 month: 31 to 67% (mean 44%)
  3. Age 1-2 months: 28 to 55% (mean 35%)
  4. Age 2-6 months: 28 to 42% (mean 36%)
  5. Age 0.5 - 2 years: 33 to 40% (mean 36%)
  6. Age 2 to 6 years: 34 to 40% (mean 37%)
  7. Age 6-12 years: 35 to 45% (mean 40%)
  8. Female
    1. Age 12-18 years: 36 to 46% (mean 41%)
    2. Age >18 years: 36 to 44% (mean 41%)
  9. Male
    1. Age 12-18 years: 37 to 49% (mean 43%)
    2. Age >18 years: 41 to 50% (mean 47%)

IV. Anemia Cutoffs

  1. Men
    1. Age 12-14 years: <37.3%
    2. Age 15-17 years: <39.7%
    3. Age >17 years: <38% (WHO) or <39.9% (CDC)
  2. Women (Non-pregnant, non-lactating)
    1. Age 12-14 years: <35.7%
    2. Age 15-17 years: <35.9%
    3. Age >17 years <35% (WHO) or <35.7% (CDC)
  3. Women in Pregnancy (CDC Guidelines <5th percentile)
    1. First Trimester: <33.0%
    2. Second Trimester: <32.0%
    3. Third Trimester: <33.0%
  4. Children (CDC Guidelines <5th percentile)
    1. Age 1-2 years: <32.9%
    2. Age 2-5 years: <33.0%
    3. Age 5-8 years: <34.5%
    4. Age 8-11 years: <35.4%
  5. Infants (2 S.D. below mean)
    1. Term (cord blood): <42% (mean 51%)
    2. Newborn (1-3 days): <56 (mean 45%)
    3. Age 2 weeks: <53% (mean 41%)
    4. Age 1 month: <44% (mean 33%)
    5. Age 2 months: <35%(mean 28%)
    6. Age 6 months: <36% (mean 31%)
    7. Reference
      1. Shilkofski (2005) Harriet Lane Handbook, 17th ed, Mosby, p. 337

V. Increased Hematocrit

  1. Erythrocytosis
    1. Dehydration
  2. Profound diuresis
  3. Hemoconcentration
    1. Burn Injury
    2. Trauma
    3. Shock
  4. Polycythemia Vera
  5. High Altitude

VI. Decreased Hematocrit

  1. See Anemia
  2. Plasma Volume expansion with constant RBC mass
    1. Pregnancy
  3. Recovery stage after Acute Hemorrhage
    1. Hematocrit lags blood loss (not reliable indicator)

VII. References

  1. Behrman (2000) Nelson Pediatrics, Saunders, p. 1462
  2. Johnson (1993) Harriet Lane Handbook, Mosby, p. 231
  3. (1998) MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 47:1-29 [PubMed]
    1. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr4703.pdf

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