Low white blood cells 29 month old baby boy.

[Sally7777]

Hello
Made a mistake of looking up Google about low white blood cells.
Saw some ok posts from this site so decided to join.

Our dear son aged 29 months had sepsis at 4 months and in hospital for 2 weeks made good full recovery.

Since then cold after cold, sore throats twice in 6 months and a couple of weeks ago breathing difficulties took him to A&E antibiotics and pump as he was throwing up that day as well doc said poss stomach upset as well. We noted he has been sleeping a lot more since last week whereas before he never says yes about wanting to go to sleep even after 8/10 hours he is yawning and goes to sleep and says yes after a 4/5 hours max.

When he was in the hospital 2 weeks ago got pumps and meds they did not do blood tests as they felt he was doing well.

We had a blood test done Thu and yesterday hubby got a call from gp to take our dear son to A&E low white blood cells and gave two numbers to him and not sure but think it was 0.8 and 3.8 but not sure.

A junior doc saw him then senior doc and told us to go for another blood test for 2 weeks and take it from there.

Our dear son has private medical health insurance.

We are worried and I feel like throwing up.

I know that when babies, toddlers, adults have colds, sore throats that can affect blood counts.

Any positive helping points here, please?
I want to throw up as I type, please help.

Thanks

[Witchend]

Babies get low white blood cells with any infection. It can be as simple as a cold.
My ds used to get viral rashes and then would be given a blood test and would always have low blood counts. He would show very little wrong other than the rash, and once they'd seen it was viral he was usually discharged.

[Sally7777]

Thanks, Witchend for your reassuring words.
TBH I read you post a long time ago and was hoping others could add similar experiences.

I'm still worried sick, DS is hot, ie hands/arms, not himself and wants to sleep more. Eating well for now. All help/experiences appreciated.

Btw, how do I find the best paediatric haematologists in London, Knt, Essex please.

[Sally7777]

Back to the top, please. Thanks

[Sally7777]

Bump.

[Witchend]

If you're worried go to A&E.

There's nothing you have written that would majorly concern me, but I am not with you and can't see what's going on.

When they're ill with a temperature then they often sleep more (ds once slept 18 hours without waking), eat less and are "not themselves".
Some children react worse to temperatures too:
dd1 miserable at any temperature over 39, rarely got higher, but used to hallucinate.
Dd2 would still be running round wanting to play with a temperature of over 41. Would last for 3 days then go back to normal.
Ds is ill if he gets over 38.5, rarely gets over 40 but vomits when the temperature is rising, and if it's tonsillitis usually sleeps for long periods of time when he can't even stand if you wake him.

Always get a child of your dc's age checked out, especially with their history. No doctor will mind you checking that age out (unless you're there 3 times in a day with a temperature of 37.1...) I have been back 3 times in a day, but that was quite serious, and the doctor was wanting to see him.

[Sally7777]

Ok, thanks again. He appears to be eating ok and drinking ok, and sleeping a little less now and in the past we'd have to really coax him to sleep even after ten hours up.

It's the low white blood cells and i made a mistake of reading headlines in Google. There is something else as well as the low white cells thc tbc can't recall.

Yes, the doc at the hospital said re do bloods 2 weeks.

today we've arranged to see a doc privately for Thursday (earliest appt we could get within 40 miles of where we live) that speiclises in toddlers/children to 16 and blood conditions.

Hoping and praying that it's something of nothing and bloods return to normal. Our son has never really been well since the episode of meningitis when he was 3 months old and went to gp in the morning temp was not up as we'd given him Carpol, took him to A&E and after meeting a rude triage worker, we insisted it was not normal for our son to cry as he never really cried for more than half a minute and then refusing feed and when we demanded a second opinion that when things got moving he was in hospital for almost 2 weeks, and thankfully my husband was working from home that day as i could not have been assertive like him

the white cells how quickly do they go back to normal?

You have already done a lot for me and if you can't reply, no worries and thank you again

[Witchend]

Bloods again in 2 weeks sounds what they used to do with D's when they were pretty certain it was viral. As long as it's heading in the right direction they won't be concerned at all.
It's always scary when they're tiny and I'll, especially when they've had serious illnesses. But it does get easier as they're able to tell you more how they feel.
Quick check on meningitis is to try and get them to put their chin on chest (I ask mine to kiss their knee) as the neck can be too stiff for that. Don't wait for rash if you think there's a possibility as it's a later sign.
Never be afraid to get them checked out as my Dr says it's either easy and quick to reassure a parent, or they need to be seen.

Glad he seems to be on the mend anyway

[Sally7777]

Many thanks again, appreciated.

[Legoroses]

Hi,
My middle child had blood tests for muscle weakness when he was a similar age to your child. They showed low white blood count and were also had to go back in 2 weeks. He was fine in himself but his sister had hand, foot and mouth disease at the time, and the drs concluded that he probably had asymptomatic hand, foot and mouth, pushing his white cells down. It's really common. Google isn't your friend here!

[Sally7777]

Thanks Legoroses.

Our gp contacted us and sent us to A&E and they said a 2 week blood test. WBC very low as well as hb, As I've mentioned the other day we have managed to secure an appt with a private paed/haematologist for this
Thursday.
Your kind words have reassured me some what.
Thanks

[bluebluezoo]

Honestly, if there is something serious you are best with the NHS as private IME doesn’t provide the continuity of care, and you will likely end up referring in to the NHS anyway.

Be careful with private care too that all tests have benefit that outweighs the risk. It is no fun putting a young child through batteries of medical tests - and private dr’s will be paid for each test they do. As questions, what are they looking for, will the test tell us, what if it doesn’t.

[Sally7777]

Thanks bluebluezoo.
We will keep that in mind. The policy is one we pay for via a well-known insurance company that has been around for more than 100 years.

[Legoroses]

I want to reiterate what book blueblue said about the nhs, also as a user of both. Generally I would always ensure that the private consultant is from the NHS, but for anything serious I would much much prefer to be with the NHS. And a good paediatrician will probably tell you to wait for the 2 week tests.

I also had a 1st child who was very ill when a tiny baby and I carried that anxiety for a long time. I only had CBT that actually picked apart why I felt so guilty and anxious about what had happened 8 or so years later! Don't wait as long as me.

[Legoroses]

Nb the insurance company doesn't oversee the consultants so don't rely on that as a badge of quality.

[Sally7777]

Thanks all. This doc works in the NHS London hospitals and is now also a trainer from what I've read.
Thanks again

[Sally7777]

Hi all
Blood test results back the other day all is good.
Re tonsils may have those our when baby is older.
Thanks all to helped, contributed.
I hope this thread helps to put their mind at rest.