White blood cells prevent the penetration of viruses and bacteria in the human body. If the white blood cells in the newborn are elevated, we are talking about the presence of pathological conditions that may be hazardous to life and health of the child. Upon detection of such abnormalities in the blood requires careful examination.
evidence
Easy leukocytosis in infants asymptomatic. Marked increase in white blood cell count is accompanied by the following symptoms:
- lethargy, lack of appetite and motor activity;
- a slight increase in temperature;
- skin rash;
- recurrent nosebleeds;
- fainting;
- slowing of hair growth or hair loss;
- incoordination;
- deterioration of eye features;
- rapid shallow breathing;
- muscle and joint pain, manifested constant crying;
- weight loss with normal diet.
Other pathological condition symptoms occur depending on the type of underlying disease:
- Intrauterine infectious gastrointestinal lesions. This disease is characterized by the presence of intestinal cramps, increased gas and liquid stool.
- Bacterial soft tissue or internal organs. The pathology is accompanied by severe fever, convulsions, cyanosis of the skin.
- Viral infections. Increase in blood levels of white blood cells in infants is accompanied by a feverish syndrome, the emergence of clear discharge from the nose and eyes. State represents a danger for the child up to a year, so you need timely elimination of the causes of leukocytosis.
How to take a blood test
Blood sampling is performed in the newborn in the first hours after birth. This helps to determine the child's ability to adapt and identify the dangerous consequences of intrauterine infection. The blood to be collected from the umbilical cord. In addition to the overall analysis carried out the study sample for the presence of infections that can be transmitted from an infected mother to child.
After 3-4 days in the hospital carried out blood sampling from the heel. Heel test showed all newborns. Analysis may be delayed or deficiency of prematurity body weight. When examining compliance with the following rules:
- baby feed for 2 hours before blood sampling (the use of water is not prohibited);
- stressful situations should be excluded;
- the child should be awake (sharp awakening can cause stress).
Decoding results
Deciphering the general blood test results helps assess the condition of the body and reveal indirect signs of abnormalities.
Norm
If infectious diseases and birth defects are absent in the blood leukocytes of the baby will have a normal level. The median value for a healthy baby is 9-30 billion / l. This is much higher than the norm for an adult patient.
deviations
Deviations are considered as a reduced and elevated white blood cells the newborn.
The first category includes the values below 9 billion / L, the second - figures that exceed 30 billion / l.
The low level of leukocyte rarely detected, it has no pronounced effect on the child's condition. Rate increase should not be ignored.
Why increased levels of cells in babies
Change the composition of blood in the infant may contribute to a variety of factors. Enhanced production of white blood cells as a cause of pathological conditions and some physiological reasons.
physiological leukocytosis
If elevated white blood cells found in the blood as a result of exposure to physiological stimuli, do not worry. This form of leukocytosis does not require medical intervention. Eliminate the deviation helps cessation of the effect of the stimulus. By provoking factors include:
- increased motor activity of the baby before blood sampling;
- experienced in the recent time, stress, expressed the constant crying;
- changing ambient temperature (swimming in a warm bath and a walk in hot weather can affect the composition of the blood);
- critical periods (2 and day 14 after birth, accompanied by the spontaneous increase in the number of leukocytes);
- the use of a large number of lactating women protein foods;
- administration feeding.
pathological leukocytosis
Pathological leukocytosis in the newborn is a reaction of the hematopoietic system to infectious, toxic, radiation and inflammatory lesions. The deviation is caused by increased blood viscosity or undertreated mother catarrhal diseases.
disease
If a blood sample for analysis was carried out correctly, and no physiological stimuli, increasing the number of white cells indicates the presence of pathology. The causes of leukocytosis in neonates and infants include:
- severe allergic reactions;
- infectious diseases accompanied by suppuration (inflammation of the middle ear and the cerebral cortex, pneumonia, cholecystitis);
- kidney and intestinal functions;
- viral infections (acute respiratory infections, rubella, measles);
- fungal infections of the oral cavity, esophagus and intestines;
- parasitic infestation;
- autoimmune inflammatory processes;
- burns and injuries;
- blood loss;
- diseases of the hematopoietic system;
- oncologic pathology;
- migrated in recent times surgical intervention.
preparations
Increase in the number of white blood cells in the newborn contributes to the use of the mother of some drugs. Drugs affect the composition of the blood of the child in utero and during feeding breast milk. The medicines that cause leukocytosis include:
- Methyluracilum;
- hormonal anti-inflammatory agents;
- antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs;
- hemostatic agents.
Why content is reduced
Leukopenia the first year of life is found rarely. Reduction in the number of white blood cells contribute to the malfunction of the hematopoietic system. The reasons for such violations are the following diseases:
- Toxoplasmosis. A parasitic disease transmitted to man from animals. Expectant mother is infected in the care of cats and dogs. Infection of the fetus occurs in the absence of antibodies in pregnant women. In adults, the disease is asymptomatic, but the child may occur congenital malformations.
- HIV infection. The virus to the baby can enter the later stages of fetal development, during the passage through the birth canal or drinking breast milk. Leukopenia newborn can be caused by the introduction of highly active antiretroviral drugs that prevent fetal infection. The child will be healthy, but the composition of his blood will be changed.
- Listeriosis. The bacteria are transmitted from an infected mother to child. Listeria provoke inflammation, a negative impact on the composition of the blood.
- Cytomegalovirus infection. Pathogen violates the function of the immune system.
- Congenital malformations of the urinary tract.
- Tuberculosis.
- Introduction of chemotherapeutic agents during pregnancy.
As a result the level of leucocytes in normal
The choice of treatment depends on the reason for the increased number of leukocytes in the newborn. The physician should pay attention to the general condition of the child.
elevated values
At physiological blood leukocytosis newborn indicators are normalized after the cessation of the effect of the stimulus. In other cases, the assigned drug treatment, in which the scheme includes the following products:
- Antibiotics (ampicillin, cefazolin). Antibacterial therapy is aimed at eliminating infection foci provoking enhanced leukocyte production. Injections are made every 8 hours during the week.
- Interferons. Genferon and Viferon possess antiproliferative and immunomodulatory effects. They normalize the immune system and eliminate virus infections. The formulations used in the acute disease course, they can be combined with other drugs.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and hormones (hydrocortisone, Nimesil). The drugs stop the development of the inflammatory process, normalizing the bone marrow.
- Antihistamines (Fenistil, Zyrtec). Apply when leukocytosis allergic origin.
- Chemotherapy drugs (methotrexate). Assigned when pronounced increase in the number of white blood cells, is a danger to the child's life.
Additionally, plasmapheresis is performed (blood purification from toxic substances) and leukopheresis (removal of leukocytes).
Decreased performance
following therapeutic procedures are applied at reducing the number of leukocytes:
- time to maintain sterile conditions for the residence of the child;
- eliminate hotbeds of infection;
- termination of irradiation and administration of chemotherapeutic agents;
- timely treatment of viral infections;
- administration of antifungal agents;
- stimulation generation of white blood cells;
- Donor leukocyte transfusions weight;
- administration of drugs which normalize metabolic processes (methyluracil, pentoxy);
- conduct detoxification therapy (which means that the body and blood of the child removes toxic metabolic products and toxic substances);
- administration of drugs that stimulate the function of the hematopoietic system (filgrastim).
The consequences of deviations
If a child has for a long time, increased white blood cells in the blood, can cause the following consequences:
- Diseases of the hematopoietic system. The most dangerous is hemolytic anemia, leukemia and leukemia, characterized by a high probability of death.
- Ischemic heart disease and brain. Accompanied by pain, blood circulation, delayed mental and physical development.
- Hydrocephalus. The pathology is accompanied by accumulation of fluid in the skull and compression of the brain.
- Malformation of the heart valves.
Avoid such complications makes the timely elimination of the causes of leukocytosis.
