Pediatric Reference and Optimal Curves for Hemoglobin

What are sex-specific pediatric reference curve (RC) and optimal curve (OC) limits for hemoglobin as a continuous function of age?In this cross-sectional study of 4597 children, the lower limits of OCs were less than of RCs in females until age 2 years and higher after age 6 years and in males were higher than RC lower limits until age 20 months and similar thereafter; upper-limit differences were minimal. World Health Organization (WHO) thresholds exceeded OC lower limits at all ages, surpassing the 5th percentile only at ages 5 through 10 years.Pediatric OCs for hemoglobin may provide improved clinical context while highlighting potential misalignment with WHO thresholds.

Corresponding Author: Jemila S. Hamid, PhD, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Ottawa, STEM Complex, 150 Louis-Pasteur Pvt, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada (jhamid@uottawa.ca).

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