what does MCH reflect

I had a little bit high value of mean corpusc haemoglobin (MCH) from my blood test, I wonder what does this MCH mean and reflect?

[Fernando Roque, MD]

Hi.  The mean corpuscular hemoglobin or MCH estimates the amount of hemoglobin (this is the molecule that carries oxygen in the blood) present in each red blood cell.  The value is derived from dividing the hemoglobin value by the total red cell count.  The normal value ranges from 28-33 picograms per cell.  The MCH is one of the parameters used to classify between different type of anemias (deficiency in hemoglobin or red cells).  An MCH of less than 17 picograms means that the red cells do not have adequate hemoglobin.  This condition can be seen in iron deficiency anemia. A slightly elevated MCH is not significant.