All issues > Volume 4(2); 1961

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1961;4(2):23-42. Published online October 31, 1961.

Studies on Normal Values for Red Blood Cells of Korean Infants and Children.

Chang Yee Hong¹

¹Department of Pediatrics Seoul National University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Summary 1. This paper presents hematologic data on 1205 samples of blood from normal healthy Korean infants and children ranging in age from birth to 16 years. The number of red blood cells, quantity of hemoglobin, volume of packed cells, the mean corpuscular diameter, and the number of reticulocytes have been determined. The indices of mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were calculated as usual, according to Wintrobe. 2.The children are divided into twenty-four groups according to age, and the arithmetical means with the respective standard deviations and standard errors are reported for each group. The sequence of changes in characteristics of the erythrocytes of infants and children at different ages was emphasized and the hematologic data were compared to those reported in various countries. 3. The average red cell count rose from 4.78 million in the cord blood to 5.10 million at one day and remained at the same level for the first one week and then decreased to the lowest level 4.14 million between the ages of 1 and 3 months. Thereafter the red cell count rose gradually to 4.80 million at 14 years although there was a transient fall between the ages of 11 and 17 months. 4.The average values for hemoglobin increased form 17.25gm/100ml in the cord blood to 18.83 gm/lOOml at one day and then decreased to the lowest level, 11.63gm/100ml at one year of age and thereafter increased slowly to 13.96gm/100ml at 14years. 5.Hematocrit values increased from an average in the cord blood of 51.03% to an average of 54.62% at one day and slowly decreased to the lowest level, 35.25% at 15months and thereafter it rose gradually to an average of 40. 92% at 14years of age. There was a significant difference in mean values of red cell counts, hemoglobin and hematocrit between the capillary and venous blood sample in the newborn period. The capillary samples showed a significantly higher value than those from the vein. The difference was 0.8millon in red cell counts, 2.3Gm/100ml in hemoglobin and 7.4% in hematocrit at one day and these differences have become less prominent gradually. 7. The mean corpuscular volume showed the highest value, 106.8p3 at one day and diminished rapidly, reaching the lowest value, 74.9u3 at one year and thereafter increased slowly to 84. 8u3 at 14years. 8. The highest value, 35.7rr, for the mean corpuscular hemoglobin is found in the cord blood and the MCH diminished showing a similar curve as in MCV, reaching the lowest mean, 24.4rr,at 1 year. Thereafter the MCH increased slowly to an average of 28.9 rr at 14years. In contrast to the other values, the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration remained at a remarkably uniform level, ranging from 32.9Gm/100ml to 34.7Gm/100ml all through the pediatric age although it showed a slight increase during the early newborn period and then decreased again to the low level, 32.9Gm/100ml at 1 year of age. 10.The mean corpuscular diameter was 8.54^ at birth and decreased gradually to the lowest level of 7.33u at 1 year. Thereafter it increased gradually to 7.51u at 14years. 11.The mean values of reticulocyte counts showed a rapid change during the first week of life, falling from 3.24% at one day to 1.2% beyond one week of life. After the neonatal period, the reticulocyte count showed no significant change and remained at approximately 1% all through the pediatric age. 12.During the neonatal period all values for the erythrocyte showed a great variability both in individuals and between members of a group, as indicated by figures for standard deviations. 13.Based on the author's data, threshold values for the diagnosis of anemia in Korean infants and children were proposed for practical purposes.

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