high white blood count?

Question

hi my girlfriend is pregnant around 35 weeks she got a blood test today and her white blood count was high. everything that i have looked up said its an infection of some sort infection. has anyone had this and can someone please shed some light on this for me the test results wont be back for a few days. anyhelp will be great.

thanks,

worried dad

Answer 1

The WBC count a bit elevated in pregnancy. The WBC count is normally higher during the final month of pregnancy (which she is in now). This is due to the number of leukocytes changes. Pregnancy results in a leukocytosis (increase white blood count ), primarily due to an increase in neutrophils with a slight increase in lymphocytes.
An unusually high white blood cell count can indicate an infection or a blood disorder but as long as there is no obvious signs and symptoms to suspect, there is nothing to worry. You may want to read further try to visit this link: http://www.rnceus.com/cbc/cbcwbc.html

Answer 2

OK, this thing happened me to me as well. Mine happened 20 weeks into the pregnancy though. And I am not saying this to scare you at all, but to inform you. My doc sent me to a hemotologist/oncologist because my white cell count was around 19. I think a normal range is about 7. They did 2 tests. They were checking for lukemia. I'm not sure if that is what a high cell count means exclusively. The tests came back neg and now every 6 months or so I go back to get it checked. My son is 16 months now, no positive tests. And it has been decided that it was probably caused by my pregnancy or my white cell count runs naturally a lil high. I wouldn't worry too much. Having a new baby on the way is enough to worry about :) Good luck to you two!

Answer 3

It is not that having a high white blood cell count would have any side effects itself, but that a high white blood cell count can be a symptom of a number of different illnesses or caused by a number of different medications all of which can have other side effects. As the site provided below states: "A high blood count (above 30000 cells per micro-liter) indicates is not a specific disease by itself but indicates infection, systemic illness, inflammation, allergy, leukemia and tissue injury caused due to burns. The count of white blood cells also increases when certain medicines like antibiotics or anti-seizure drugs. Smoking and too much of mental stress also increases the count of the white blood cells in the body. Also, once the count of white blood cell is on the higher side, the risk of cardiovascular mortality also increases. It turns into a vicious circle."

Answer 4

I don't know much about it, but white blood cells fight infection, here are a couple of urls read them then definetly talk to her doctor and get it checked out so you don't have to worry.

White blood cell (WBC) count. White blood cells protect the body against infection. If an infection develops, white blood cells attack and destroy the bacteria, virus, or other organism causing it. White blood cells are bigger than red blood cells and normally fewer in number. When a person has a bacterial infection, the number of white cells can increase dramatically. The number of white blood cells is sometimes used to identify an infection or monitor the body's response to cancer treatment.

Answer 5

i'm 36 weeks and was told that i have a high white blood cell count but the test didn't really say anything when it came back... my brother is a doc and said not to worry about it though, b/c it happens alot to pregnant women, especially near the end of the term... hope it turns out well, but i really wouldn't worry too much if i were you..

Answer 6

You're right...an elevated white blood count means an infection of some sort. What did her ob/gyn say about the results?

Answer 7

she'll be fine