Organ Weight Reference Ranges for Ages 0 to 12 Years

Abstract

Abnormal organ weights often serve as an indicator of underlying disease or other pathological process making assessment of organ weight a critical part of the autopsy examination and interpretation. Unfortunately, normal organ weights for children are often based on studies done in the 1930s and 1960s. Thus, the present study was designed to accurately assess organ weights in children to establish reference ranges for use in autopsy examinations. A total of 1759 traumatic deaths in children aged 0 to 12 years were reviewed. Analysis revealed that body length was the best predictor for organ weight. Reference ranges were established and stratified by both age and body length.