New blood count reference standards for Vietnamese children

For years, laboratories in Vietnam relied on blood count benchmarks developed for foreign populations. Dr. Duyen Nguyen of the Vietnam National Children's Hospital noted that because blood parameters shift significantly during growth, these imported standards often caused clinicians to misclassify healthy children as abnormal. The new research, involving 3,982 children aged 0 to 19, confirms that age exerts a profound influence on normal values.

The findings reveal distinct developmental trends: white blood cell counts typically decline from infancy through adolescence, while neutrophil levels rise. Sex-specific differences in hemoglobin levels become pronounced only after puberty, reaching upper limits of 171 g/L in males and 150 g/L in females aged 12 to 19. By providing a localized reference resource, the team expects to improve diagnostic accuracy and curb unnecessary follow-up testing for pediatric patients nationwide.