Haematological and biochemical reference values of Gambian infants.

OBJECTIVE: To establish haematological and biological reference values for Gambian infants. METHODS: Basic haematological and biochemical indices were analysed in blood samples obtained from healthy infants from Sukuta in the Western Division of The Gambia. The 2.5 and the 97.5 centiles for these indices were estimated. RESULTS: Reference ranges for haematological and biochemical indices were determined. Haemoglobin, total white cell count (WBC) and platelet levels decreased with age (P < 0.001), whereas most of the white cell count subsets except monocytes did not vary with age. Potassium and alkaline phosphatase fell significantly with increasing age (P < 0.001; P < 0.001), whereas urea and creatinine rose with increasing age (P = 0.002; P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our set of haematological and biochemical reference values for healthy infants in The Gambia differs from values in other settings, thus underscoring the importance of establishing region-specific paediatric reference ranges to ensure optimal patient management and evaluate the impact of interventions in clinical research.