Low White Blood Cell Count for 11 Year Old

[Anonymous]

Has anyone had a low WBC count and it has been no big deal? I received my child's test results late this evening. They're automatically generated. I shouldn't have Googled what that means. The options appear 1) benign and rare genetic condition my partner and I have never heard of so we don't think any relatives have it, or 2) cancer. Child's latest illness was in August so they are not recovering from something recent. No known allergies. No current medications. The doctor will email tomorrow but I probably won't sleep well tonight and will be trying hard to distract myself in the morning until the email comes. I'm still hoping this isn't a big deal but it is kind of hard not to think its pretty bad.

[Anonymous]

I’m sorry, Op - I know how hard it is to wait in these kinds of situations.

All I can add for reassurance is that every year when I get my annual bloodwork, several values are out of range, and I google and freak out, and then speak to the doctor who usuallt isn’t concerned and explains why.

Wishing you lots of luck.

[Anonymous]

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

How low? My kids have had measurements a little low but the doctors weren't concerned.

[Anonymous]

WBC's Auto 3.2. Normal is 4.5-13.5 10*3uL

White Blood Cell Differential shows Neutrophils 1.11. Normal range is 1.5-1.8 10#3uL

Lymphocytes are within the normal range but just barely. 1.52 when normal range is 1.5-6.5 10*3uL

[Anonymous]

My child gets bloodwork a lot and routinely has low WBC and low neutrophils

doctors get concerned when neutrophils are much lower - like 0.5

Is there a reason they did bloodwork ?

[Anonymous]

Lab reference ranges vary, my hematology labs has 3.98 as the low end of normal. They’ll definitely retest but I wouldn’t worry

[Anonymous]

I know he’s not a kid, but I remember DH having low WBC and neutrophils and we were really concerned but ended up being nothing. Get some rest, OP. Parenting is hard. You’re doing everything you can at the moment. Sending love.

[Anonymous]

OP, everyone situation is different, but I’ve had low white blood cell counts my entire life. I do have some autoimmune issues, but I am healthy fit and active.

[Anonymous]

^ adding on that I had to go to a hematologist to get all sort of blood test done just to make sure it wasn’t anything scary and it wasn’t. But most hematologist are in an oncologist office, so that is scary in itself. But to answer your original question, yes you can have low white blood cell count and it may not mean something scary. I want to also add that you said he was sick in Aug .. that wasn’t really that long back. For some people it takes their systems quite a while to recover from an illness, even if it was just a cold. You might want to get his immunity checked such as immuglobulins.

[Anonymous]

The doctor ordered bloodwork because my child has been consistently tired for a few weeks and asked to go to the doctor. They said they feel like they haven't completely recovered from a cold in August. Also, some of the bloodwork should have been done when they turned 11, but my child already had a bunch of shots and I didn't make them do the labs then. I meant to get back to them and here we are.

Thank you DCUM. Heading to bed now.

[Anonymous]

One of the most obvious causes could be Epstein bar(EBV)/mono. You feel tired for a long time after you’ve had “a cold”. And it’s a cause for low white blood cell count because your body is trying to fight it off for so long.

[Anonymous]

Low count of WBC is never a good sign, unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Yes my son had strep so he took antiobiotics and then he got the flu and a cold and... it just kept going on for like 3 weeks. But oddly he had no symptoms except being tired.

We had to go for blood work weekly for 3 weeks and it all just cleared up.

IN hindsight... i'm going off bad memory they never check for mono and i think it was mono because years later they checked or mono and they said, oh looks like he had it at some point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Low count of WBC is never a good sign, unfortunately.

Incorrect.