From the Research
Normal serum ferritin levels for children vary by age, with recent studies suggesting thresholds of approximately 20 μg/L for children, as identified by haemoglobin and soluble transferrin receptor concentrations 1.
Key Points
- Serum ferritin is the primary iron storage protein in the body and its measurement helps assess iron status.
- Low ferritin indicates iron deficiency, which may precede anemia, while elevated levels can suggest iron overload, inflammation, or certain diseases.
- The most recent and highest quality study, published in 2024, provides sex-, age-, and body mass index (BMI)-specific serum ferritin reference percentiles for European children aged 3-15 years, ranging from 10.9 to 81.1 μg/L 2.
- A study from 2021 found that serum ferritin thresholds of about 20 μg/L for children and 25 μg/L for non-pregnant women may be more clinically and epidemiologically relevant than those based on expert opinion 1.
- Another study from 2021 highlighted the importance of using serum ferritin results to diagnose iron deficiency in children, rather than relying on serum iron test results, which can lead to overdiagnosis and underdiagnosis of iron deficiency 3.
Clinical Considerations
- It's essential to interpret ferritin results alongside other iron studies (hemoglobin, transferrin saturation) and clinical context.
- Children with chronic inflammatory conditions may have falsely elevated ferritin despite iron deficiency, as ferritin is also an acute phase reactant.
- Regular monitoring of ferritin is recommended for children at risk of iron deficiency or overload.
- A higher iron intake from heme sources is positively associated with serum ferritin, and adherence to a mainly vegetarian diet may be associated with a lower chance for sufficient serum ferritin 2.