What can cause a low WBC and should I be worried?

Question

My son has been having a lot of issues lately with frequent infections (scarlet fever, ear infections, colds, etc), then when everything seems to get better he gets a fever with no other symptoms. The past week has been fevers from 105 - 100.1 with no apparant signs of infection. The family doc. recently did a CBC test along with others and found his white blood cell count to be low. Now we have to go back and do another test for comparative reasons. My son is also experiencing fatigue, headaches, bright red lips, and frequent nosebleeds. Any thoughts? The Dr. says it could be some type of bone marrow problem and he should be sent to a hemotologist. Is there anything else that could cause these problems? My son is 7.

Answer 1

Sometimes the cause of a low white blood cell count can't be determined (idiopathic). Known causes of a low white blood cell count (leukopenia) include:

Infections, such as viral infections and HIV
Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus
Certain medications, especially those used in chemotherapy and some antibiotics
Radiation therapy
Bone marrow disease, such as leukemia or myelodysplastic syndromes
White blood cells help fight infection in your body. A normal white blood cell count ranges from 4,500 to 10,000 cells per microliter of blood. A mild decrease in white blood cells below 4,500 cells per microliter doesn't necessarily indicate a serious illness. However, a dangerously low white blood cell count — below 2,500 cells per microliter — increases the risk of serious infection. I WANT TO SAY TRY NOT TO WORRY, BUT AS A MOM IS IT POSSIBLE NOT TO? I HOPE YOUR SON IS OKAY.

Answer 2

A lot of things can be causing it, but usually when the white cells are low it means that you don't have the ability to fight infections. White cells are related to the immune system.

Wait for the test to come back do not worry yourself yet it could be something simple like bad digestion. Do not always think the worse it will not do either of you any good

Answer 3

One of the causes of low WBC (white blood cell) is leukemia, among other things. I don't want you to get worried more than you are already so my best advice is to go to a doctor who specializes in blood problems. Your MD is right, that's a Hematologist. Your son needs to be tested more.

Our WBC fights infections. So if somebody has a low count, you can understand that he is going to be prone to infections. Our bone marrow is the site of formation of our blood components including red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets (the component of our blood that helps to stop bleeding). You said your son is fatigued easily and has nosebleeds too, so maybe this involves the bone marrow as a whole. He gets tired easily because of this lack of oxygen to his body. Fatigue could be due to anemia or low oxygen-carrying capacity of his blood. Please go to a Hematologist as soon as you can. Good luck!