MyBloodTest

Biomarkers

Home

›

Biomarkers

›

Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH)

Blood

Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH)

COMMON RANGE

26.6 – 33

21.6

34.4

Labcorp

Adult

↗

See all sources ↓

Reference ranges across 10+ sources

Adult reference ranges from 3 entries across 3 named sources, shown in pg. Compare side-by-side.

SOURCE

SEX

AGE

RANGE

VISUAL

CITE

Labcorp

All

≥18y

26.6 – 33 pg

↗

Nordic Reference Interval Project

All

≥18y

27.1 – 33.3 pg

↗

JSCC / JAMT Japan

All

≥18y

28 – 33 pg

Labcorp

All · ≥18y

↗

26.6 – 33 pg

Nordic Reference Interval Project

All · ≥18y

↗

27.1 – 33.3 pg

JSCC / JAMT Japan

All · ≥18y

28 – 33 pg

Ages 0–17 (CALIPER)

PEDIATRIC

5 age- and sex-stratified entries from the Canadian Laboratory Initiative on Pediatric Reference Intervals.

SOURCE

SEX

AGE

RANGE

VISUAL

CITE

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

All

0–1y

22.9 – 32.7 pg

↗

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

All

1y–3y

22.7 – 29 pg

↗

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

All

3y–6y

25.2 – 29.3 pg

↗

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

All

6y–13y

25.4 – 30.8 pg

↗

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

All

13y–21y

25.9 – 32.4 pg

↗

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

All · 0–1y

↗

22.9 – 32.7 pg

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

All · 1y–3y

↗

22.7 – 29 pg

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

All · 3y–6y

↗

25.2 – 29.3 pg

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

All · 6y–13y

↗

25.4 – 30.8 pg

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

All · 13y–21y

↗

25.9 – 32.4 pg

About Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH)

Red blood cell (RBC) indices measure your red blood cells' size, shape, and quality. Red blood cells are also known as erythrocytes. They are made in your bone marrow (the spongy tissue inside your large bones). They contain hemoglobin, an iron-rich protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to every cell in your body.

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) is one of the red blood cell indices. It measures the average amount of hemoglobin inside a single red blood cell. Together with other indices such as MCV and MCHC, MCH helps your provider determine if you have a certain type of anemia, a condition in which your body does not make enough healthy red blood cells.

Knowing the size, shape, and hemoglobin content of your red blood cells can help your provider classify the type of anemia and look for its cause.

Main source: MedlinePlus ↗

Useful for

Help diagnose different types of anemia

Part of a complete blood count, often included in a routine checkup

Help find the cause of symptoms of anemia such as fatigue, weakness, or shortness of breath

Help monitor a known blood disorder or its treatment

Main source: MedlinePlus ↗

Interpretation

If the amount of hemoglobin (MCH) is lower than normal, it may mean you have iron deficiency anemia or another type of anemia in which red blood cells contain less hemoglobin than usual.

If the amount of hemoglobin (MCH) is higher than normal, it may mean you have anemia caused by a vitamin B deficiency, such as vitamin B12 or folate deficiency.

Your MCH result is usually interpreted together with other red blood cell indices and the rest of your complete blood count to help your provider understand the cause of any abnormal findings.

For general wellness information only. Talk to a clinician about your specific results.

Main source: MedlinePlus ↗

Track your mean corpuscular hemoglobin (mch) in MyBloodTest

Instant lab report scanning, personalized wellness insights, automatic wellness app syncing. All in one app.

Download on the

App Store

Get it on

Google Play

Free · iOS · Android · Web

Related biomarkers

Often tested alongside mean corpuscular hemoglobin (mch) or part of the same panel.

White Blood Cells (WBC)

Blood

Red Blood Cells (RBC)

Blood

Hemoglobin (Hgb)

Blood

Hematocrit (Hct)

Blood

Platelets (PLT)

Blood

Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)

Blood

Sources

Labcorp

Nordic Reference Interval Project

JSCC / JAMT Japan

CALIPER — Canadian Pediatric Reference Intervals

Last updated 2026-05-02

This page aggregates publicly available reference data and clinical information from Mayo Clinic Laboratories and other sources. For general wellness information only — not medical advice. For diagnosis or treatment of any condition, talk to a qualified clinician.

MyBloodTest