Normal reference range for serum ferritin in preschool children in Hangzhou

Objective:To establish normal reference range for serum ferritin in preschool children in Hangzhou.Methods:Serum ferritin was detected by chemiluminescence assay in 688 preschool children(343 boys and 345 girls;aged from 2 to 5 years).Results:Serum ferritin concentration of preschool children obeys the logarithmic normal distribution.The normal reference range for serum ferritin in all 688 children is 14.26～76.03 μg/L.The normal reference range for serum ferritin in boys and girls are 14.38～74.6 μg/L and 14.12～77.55 μg/L,respectively.The normal reference range for serum ferritin in 2,3,and 4~5 years old children are 13.95～71.01 μg/L,14.46～76.76 μg/L and 14.82～87.9 μg/L,respectively.There is no significant difference of serum ferritin concentration between genders(P0.05),however,significant differences are found in different age groups(P0.05).Conclusion:Normal reference range for serum ferritin in preschool children in Hangzhou is 14.26～76.03 μg/L,there is no significant difference between genders.The mean of serum ferritin concentration in children elevates with age.Since our reference range of children is different with that of adult,we recommend it to be used in clinical practice.