Low White Blood Cell Count in Children

White blood cells or leukocytes present in your blood determine your immunity. Insufficient number of Red Blood Cells (RBCs) and/or White Blood Cells (WBCs) in your blood leads to serious health problems. High WBC count indicates infection, allergies or diseases like cancer, tuberculosis, pneumonia, etc. The main function of white blood cells is to fight diseases, so low production of white blood cells can result in serious health problems. Although the normal WBC count range for children is the same as that for adults, newborn infants have a higher white blood cell count than adults.

Normal White Blood Cell Count

White blood cells are produced in the bone marrow. In adults 4,300 to 10,800 white blood cells are present per micro-liter (mcL) of blood. Average WBC count for an adult can be around 7000 WBCs per cubic millimeter of blood. Newborn infants have very high WBC count on the day of birth. Normal white blood cell count in children varies according to the age and overall health. Infants have normal WBC count between 9000 - 30,000. The WBC count lowers down and reaches the normal levels within fifteen days. WBC count for a healthy child and healthy adult is usually the same. Normal WBC count range for children is 4,300 to 10,800 per micro-liter (mcL) of blood (same as adults). Children under the age of one year may have slightly higher WBC count. Having a slightly lower or higher WBC count can be considered natural, as normal WBC level may vary from person to person. WBC count, less than 3,500 is considered as low white blood cell count or leukopenia; while WBC count more than 11,000 is known as high WBC count or leukocytosis.

Causes of Low WBC Count in Children

• Vitamin deficiency, parasitic diseases, etc., can cause leukopenia.
• Treatments like chemotherapy, radiation can result in low WBC count.
• A viral infection can temporarily affect the function of the bone marrow and can lead to low WBC count.
• Repeated infections may use up WBCs faster than they can be synthesized and thus may lead to low blood WBC level.
• Diseases like cancer can disrupt bone marrow function and can affect the production of white blood cells.
• Use of certain medications and drugs (certain antibiotics and diuretics) results in impaired bone marrow function, leading to low blood WBC level in children.
• An overactive thyroid produces too much of thyroid hormones. The condition is known as hyperthyroidism which can cause leukopenia.
• Sometimes, diminished bone marrow function is noticed at the time of birth of the child. Such congenital disorders can lead to low WBC count in children.
• Dysfunction of the immune system or autoimmune diseases like lupus can cause low WBCs in children. Immune system may attack and destroy bone marrow cells and white blood cells.
• Various diseases like aplastic anemia (body stops producing enough new blood cells), HIV/AIDS, arthritis, leukemia (cancer of the blood-forming tissues), lupus (a chronic inflammatory disease), myelofibrosis (a serious bone marrow disorder), Kostmann's syndrome (an inherited disorder of the bone marrow), enlargement of the spleen (hypersplenism leading to untimely destruction of blood cells by the spleen) can result in low white blood cell count in children.

How to Improve WBC Count in Children

Detecting the exact cause of low WBC count is essential as this helps design the treatment. WBCs are required to fight infections and diseases, so blood WBC level needs to be immediately improved. Blood test and bone marrow test help diagnose leukopenia. Vitamin deficiency is treated with nutritious healthy diet and supplements. After detecting the cause of low WBC count, the doctor may prescribe medications to treat the underlying disease. During chemotherapy or radiation, one should religiously follow the instructions given by the doctor. If the patient has low WBC count, doctors may delay the treatment. Healthy diet and medications help improve the condition faster. The medicines contain cytokines which trigger the production of white blood cells. Low WBC count increases the risk of infections. Children with low WBC count should be kept away from the crowded places like malls (to avoid infections). This helps prevent the situation from worsening. Cleanliness is also necessary to avoid infections.

Thus, prompt medication, nutritious diet and hygiene play an important role in raising the WBC count and bringing it to the normal level. Proper precautions and correct treatment help prevent serious health complications.