What is a normal white blood cell count for a child?
WBC counts for children after they reach their second birthday vary slightly based on age, and sex for children aged 6 to 15. The reference ranges for WBC count established by Mayo Medical Laboratories for toddlers, children and adolescents are as follows 1: 2 years old: 5.0 to 12.0 x 10 9 /L ; 3 to 5 years old: 4.0 to 12.0 x 10 9 /L
What is the reference range for a WBC count?
Reference Range (Normal Range) for a WBC Count. It is often done as part of a bigger complex of blood tests called a complete blood cell (CBC) count. A WBC count is the number of white blood cells per volume of blood. Be advised, however, that there is no one number that defines a "normal" or a typical WBC count.
What does a high or low (WBC) count mean?
(WBC) count results are divided into three ranges, low, normal, and high. Doctors use (WBC) count and other test results to monitor the status of a disease or condition. Your white blood cells make up less than 1% of all your blood cells. 2 Still, they play a vital role in keeping you healthy.
What is the normal WBC count for a 15 year old?
The reference ranges for WBC count established by Mayo Medical Laboratories for toddlers, children and adolescents are as follows 1: x 10 9 /L 12 to 15 years old, males: 3.6 to 9.1 x 109/L 12 to 15 year old, females: 4.1 to 8.9 x 10 9 /L * 16 years and older, males and females: 3.5 to 10.5 WBCs are immune system cells.
What is the normal WBC level for a child?
AgeWBC (cells/microL)ANC (cells/microL)1 week12,200 (range 5000 to 21,000)5500 (range 1500 to 10,000)1 month10,800 (range 5000 to 19,500)3800 (range 1000 to 9000)1 year11,400 (range 6000 to 17,500)3500 (range 1500 to 8500)10 years8100 (range 4500 to 13,500)4400 (range 1800 to 8000)3 more rows
What is considered a high white blood cell count in toddlers?
What is considered a high white blood cell count? Typically, if there are more than 11,000 white blood cells in a microliter of your blood, it's considered leukocytosis.
What is the white blood cell count in a child with leukemia?
Leukemia white blood cell count ranges in children 6,200 to 17,000 for children under 2. 5,000 to 10,000 for children over 2.
What is a normal range white blood cell count?
Normal Results The normal number of WBCs in the blood is 4,500 to 11,000 WBCs per microliter (4.5 to 11.0 × 109/L). Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different labs.
What is the WBC count in leukemia?
At the time of diagnosis, patients can have very, very high white blood cell counts. Typically a healthy person has a white blood cell count of about 4,000-11,000. Patients with acute or even chronic leukemia may come in with a white blood cell count up into the 100,000-400,000 range.
What is a dangerously high WBC count?
If you have WBC counts between 50,000 and 100,000 per microliter of blood, it may mean that you have a severe infection, organ rejection, or a solid tumor. Very high WBC counts over 100,000 generally only occur with conditions like leukemia or other types of blood and bone marrow cancer.
What are the first signs of leukemia in a child?
What are the symptoms of leukemia in children?Pale skin.Feeling tired, weak, or cold.Dizziness.Headaches.Shortness of breath, trouble breathing.Frequent or long-term infections.Fever.Easy bruising or bleeding, such as nosebleeds or bleeding gums.More items...
How I found out my child had leukemia?
Childhood leukemia is often found because a child has signs or symptoms that prompt a visit to the doctor. The doctor then orders blood tests, which might point to leukemia as the cause. The best way to find these leukemias early is to pay attention to the possible signs and symptoms of this disease.
What are early signs of leukemia?
Common leukemia signs and symptoms include:Fever or chills.Persistent fatigue, weakness.Frequent or severe infections.Losing weight without trying.Swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver or spleen.Easy bleeding or bruising.Recurrent nosebleeds.Tiny red spots in your skin (petechiae)More items...•
Is 3.6 white blood count normal?
How many white blood cells (WBCs) someone has varies, but the normal range is usually between 4,000 and 11,000 per microliter of blood. A blood test that shows a WBC count of less than 4,000 per microliter (some labs say less than 4,500) could mean your body may not be able to fight infection the way it should.
Is 1.7 a low white blood count?
An adult with fewer than 1700 neutrophils in a microliter of blood or 1.7 x 10^9/L has a low white blood cell count. If there are fewer than 500 neutrophils in a microliter of blood or 0.50 x 10^9/L, the risk for infection becomes even higher.
What does it mean when a child's white blood cell count is low?
A low white blood cell count usually is caused by: Viral infections that temporarily disrupt the work of bone marrow. Certain disorders present at birth (congenital) that involve diminished bone marrow function. Cancer or other diseases that damage bone marrow.
Infants
Significance
- WBCs are immune system cells. The 5 different types of WBCs include neutrophils (also known as polymorphonuclear leukocytes or PMNs), lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils. Each type of WBC has a different function.Neutrophils and lymphocytes are the most abundant WBCs. Children normally have more lymphocytes than neutrophils, though this predominance s…
High WBC Count
- Many conditions and circumstances can cause a high WBC count in a child. Most increases are transient but others indicate a more serious underlying problem. Examples of causes of leukocytosis in a child include: 1. Infection 2. Vigorous exercise 3. Seizures 4. Allergic reaction 5. Corticosteroid medication use, such as for asthma 6. Hereditary anemia, such as sickle cell dise…
Low WBC Count
- A low WBC count in a child is less common than an elevated count. Some of the potential causes of a low WBC count in children include: 1. Severe infection, especially bacterial 2. Nutritional deficiencies, such as vitamin B12 and/or folate 3. Leukemia and other bone marrow abnormalities 4. Spleen enlargement
Other Considerations
- Other tests usually included in a CBC help your doctor narrow the list of possible causes if your child has an abnormal WBC count.This additional information includes counts and relative proportions of the different types of WBCs, and examination of WBCs under the microscope. In many cases, an abnormality in a child's WBC count is temporary, such as with a viral or bacterial …
Purpose of The Test
Normal Reference Range of Values
- No hard-and-fast number defines what a "normal" WBC count is. Instead, the results are reported in relation to the normal expected range of values within a population. Anything below this range is low, and anything above this range is considered high.3 Labs can also differ in defining a high or a low WBC count. So, it is possible to have a normal W...
Interpreting Results
- The WBC count isn't specific enough to diagnose any particular disease. Abnormal values are simply an indication that something may be wrong and what the possible causes may be. If your WBC count is high, you have what is called leukocytosis. Among some of the possible causes of leukocytosis are:7 1. A bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infection 2. Inflammatory conditions 3. Burn…
Follow-Up Tests
- If your WBC count is abnormal, your healthcare provider may order additional tests depending on your symptoms and medical history. These may include tests to see if you have: 1. An infection: Your healthcare provider may order a urinalysis, for example, if they think you have a urinary tract infection. If they believe you have a viral infection, they might contain a polymerase chain reactio…
Summary
- White blood cells help fight infection and inflammation. A white blood cell (WBC) count measures the number of white blood cells in a sample of blood. Many conditions, including infections, medications, inflammatory diseases, and blood or bone marrow disorders, can cause an abnormal WBC count. The WBC count is measured in a reference range of values by the number of blood c…
A Word from Verywell
- It's important to discuss your WBC count results—and any other test you undergo—with your doctor to understand what they mean. Doing so allows you to make informed choices about your health. It is also important not to jump to conclusions if you see a "high" or "low" notation on your WBC count results. It is only by comparing the test results to different blood test values that a h…