High White Blood Cells newborn

[lagosmum1]

Hi Everyone,

I've just given birth to a baby boy two days ago and today the hospital did a health check up on the baby by running a number of test and the white blood cell was too high at over 4000.

The doctor said it was due to an infection and I asked what the nature of the infection could be but she said she put him on a course of intravenous antibiotics and keep him in the hospital.

Somebody help us in Africa here; they usually adopt prevention method of treatment other than cause, effect and prevention method. My fear is what causing this infection would not be found but treatment with antibiotics would be started. Please help us, many thanks in advnce

Lagosmum

[ExBrightonBell]

Hi Lagosmum,

Congratulations on your new baby first of all. It's a shame that the hospital staff can't tell you a bit more about what's happening with your baby.

I had a similar experience - my baby had an infection when he was born, and had antibiotics.

The hospital won't know straightaway what the infection is as they would need to do tests to work out what it is. So that's why they give antibiotics straightaway rather than wait to work out what the infection is. It could be something like Group B Strep which is a relatively common infection in newborns. The antibiotics should sort it out, but if it doesn't they should be able to give different antibiotics that will get rid of the infection.

I hope your baby is better soon.

[lagosmum1]

ExBrightonBell,

Ahhhh, thank you so much for this new info, at least this has reduced my tension.

Kind regards

[Cuddlydragon]

My baby also had an infection within the first 24 hours, we think it was because there was a 24 hour delay in my waters breaking and delivery and that I had caught an infection meantime. The blood cultures can take up to 48-72 hours to come back, but they prefer not to wait, and aoid, amongst other things the possibility of jaundice. Try not to worry about not knowing yet, you may never know, but I'm sure your little one will be perfectly fine very soon. Congratulations on your baby.

[Kafri]

Hi

My little boy had raised infection markers at 24 hours old so was kept in for a week right over bloody christmas on 2 lots of antibiotics.
From what i've heard it's relatively common and they treat routinely. They never did find out what exactly was infected but the anti b's did their job and we came home safe and sound after xmas.

They also did a lumbar puncture just to rule out meningitis (which he didn't have any symptoms of but just to rule it out for sure)

Good luck with your newbie, hope you little boy is home soon

[anothermonday]

Hi Lagosmum, just adding my voice to what others have said. One of my DSs had a temperature, fast breathing and raised infection markers (very high CRP) after birth. He was kept in special care on broad spectrum antibiotics for a week, but they were never able to pinpoint the source of the infection (and this was in a major UK teaching hospital) - all cultures came back negative. Anyway, he was fine - we had no problems once he was discharged (and he was better after 2 or 3 days of the iv antibiotics).