5 Days with Fever; Low White Blood Cells!

Ok, think of it like this: the white blood cells are the little warriors against infection. She's had a fever for several days and so they've been fighting the good fight and have lost some of their members. Because she's still fighting the infection, there hasn't been enough down time in her immune system to be able to bounce those numbers back up to normal. Thats just how the body works. I'm assuming that they did a CBC and differential, which would have shown them if anything was seriously out of whack. As long as she shows signs of improvement in the next few days, I wouldn't worry about it. However, if she is still feverish after a week, you might want to take her back in.
Lots of fluids, lots of rest, and lots of good thoughts!
K.

D.

If the white cells are low, then build them up with immune building foods. Make a shake for your baby if she won't eat food. Go to www.whfoods.com for suggestions on immune building foods. Good luck, your baby will be fine. My prayers are with you.

Hi, Deborah. First, you can't expect a child to bounce back quickly after 5 days of fever. She's going to be tired and she's going to be weak. Chances are that she hasn't eaten very much this week, and she may still be a bit dehydrated. Give her some time to get her strength back.

I think I would be kind of worried about a low white blood cell count, too. Ask the doctor to explain this better. I never heard of this happenning after a virus attack. If it's just a little low, maybe that's because it got high to fight off the virus, and now the child is returning to normal. That might be what the doctor means, but get him to explain it better.

If your child doesn't start to perk up a bit in the next couple of days, I would get her checked again. It may have been something more than a virus, or she might have become anemic and need extra vitamins.

Peace,
Syl

Don't worry about it, shes probably just fighting a virus. Your wbc goes down when you have a virus and goes up when you have a bacterial infection. Just plenty of rest and fluids and she should be back to normal.

I had a low white blook count and it ended up being hypothyroidism. Have her thyroid checked. You can have this at any age.

Debroa,

The doc is right, the white blood cell count may be low due to a virus. If she is getting better then her immunity is fighting it off.

You can always request a copy of the lab results. If is mildly out of range then I wouldnt' worry at this point. You can always have the Dr. repeat the CBC to make sure her white blood cell count is back to normal

Depending on the virus it can take a child a few days to bounce back. If your daughter is still drowsy in a few days, take her back. In the meantime, a slightly low white blood count is nothing to worry about, your doctor is right.

Checking their white blood cell count seems to be the new thing to do lately. Last time I brought my daughter to the pediatrician they did the finger prick blood test to check her count, too, and the doctor explained how it helps them determine if in fact their body is fighting something. I wouldn't worry. If she's tired, let her rest. If she's lethargic and can't function, call the doctor. You don't say how old she is ... bouncing, like on a bounce ball or rebounder (a good mini-trampoline) exercises all the cells in the body and that can help build the body's immune system, with continued use (even 5 minutes a day - great for grown-ups, too!)

I suggest giving it a few days if the fever is gone. Make sure she's eating extremely healthy and taking a good quality vitamin supplement for her age daily. No sugar or juice, and lots of raw fruits and veggies. A good pro-biotic supplement will help the immune system. A local Shaklee distributor can hook you up with a product that even infants can swallow. If her energy level doesn't return in a couple days, get a 2nd opinion.

did he tellyou how to get to normal?
Check out Weston Price Foundation and they will tell you,
and find another doc, shame on him for not giving you the data to handle your worry-k

Hi D.,
It's so hard when your kids are sick. I can tell you that your WBC count does drop when you have a viral infection and they go up when it's bacterial. That's why the peds office will do a CBC when your child is sick and has a fever. The WBC count will tell them how to treat the illness. In your daughter's case, the WBC count was low so it indicated a viral illness, therefore no need for antibitics. As for the drowsiness, her little body is recovering. Being sick wipes you out. I know when I've had the flu in the past, it always takes me a little while after I get over the initial illness to feel back to normal. The fact that she doesn't have a fever anymore is encouraging. I'm sure she'll be back to normal in a couple of days. Try not to worry too much, even though I know that's easier said than done. If you're still concerned, you can always have her WBC rechecked when she's completely better. I'm sure it will be back to normal by then. Take care.

I am praying for you and your daughter. I'm sure it is nothing, sometimes these viruses take a toll on the body and it has to re-coup.

Roz

please dont worry be concerned yes.a few weeks later have her blood checked again.most likely everything will be fine.we do alot of useless worrying sometimes and put ourselves through alot.so relax and trust god.he will see you through.C.

Pray we will. And momma, please take care of yourself as well...you deserve it. And you'll be nourished and strengthened to continue being the best mom...
Blessings, S.