Normal hematologic values and prevalence of anemia in children living on selected Pacific atolls.

The hematologic status of infants and children living on the small islands of the Pacific basin has been poorly documented. This report determines the normal ranges for hemoglobin (Hb) and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) for children residing on four of the small atolls of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the archipelago of Micronesia. The difficulty in establishing normal hematologic values in pediatric populations is discussed and a methodology suggested that does not exclude any Hb value above the mean in determining the normal range for Hb. The study population was comprised of 563 Marshallese children representing approximately 3.4% of all children less than 16 years of age living in the Marshall Islands. The local prevalence of anemia and iron deficiency was also established.