Understanding MCH: Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin & What It Indicates

MCH stands for mean corpuscular hemoglobin, which is a measure of the average amount of hemoglobin in a red blood cell. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. MCH is measured in picograms (pg) per red blood cell.

A normal MCH level is between 27 and 32 pg/cell. Low MCH levels may indicate a number of conditions, including iron deficiency anemia, thalassemia, and sickle cell anemia. High MCH levels may indicate a condition called macrocytic anemia, which is characterized by large red blood cells.

MCH is one of several parameters that are measured in a complete blood count (CBC). A CBC is a blood test that measures the number and size of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in a sample of blood.