Children have a lower hemoglobin count than adults (<11.5 g/dL is anemic).
Why is this? They have a higher serum phosphate, assumably from the increase in bone growth* and an increased metabolism in general. This higher phosphate leads to increased levels of 2,3 BPG, which we know causes a right shift in the O2 saturation curve. This means more oxygen is dumped into the tissues per hemoglobin molecule. Thus, less hemoglobin is required to transfer oxygen to the tissues.
*the main inorganic material of bone, hydroxyapatite, utilizes 10 Ca for every 6 Phosphorous (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2). This leaves an excess of Phosphorous (since Calcium and Phosphorous usually come together in the form of CaPO4)
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