MCH

Measured in pg

The average amount of oxygen-carrying protein inside a single red blood cell — a calculated number that tends to move in step with cell size.

What it is

MCH (mean corpuscular hemoglobin) is the average amount of hemoglobin — the oxygen-carrying protein — packed inside one of your red blood cells, calculated from your hemoglobin and RBC count. It generally tracks closely with MCV (cell size), because bigger cells tend to hold more hemoglobin, so it usually adds context rather than new information on its own. It's reviewed as part of the red-cell index set (MCV, MCH, MCHC, RDW) alongside hemoglobin, and like other calculated indices it can be nudged by lab measurement variation, so it's not read in isolation.

Typical range

  • Adults27–33 pg

Source · StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf NBK604207) (2024)

Reference ranges vary between laboratories, and what is normal for you depends on your own history. Your own lab’s range is the one printed on your report.

Worth asking your clinician

  • Does my MCH add anything beyond what my hemoglobin and MCV already show?
  • Is this value stable compared with my earlier results?
  • Should this be rechecked at some point, or is it fine as part of the overall picture?