A general blood test can tell a lot. Various diseases in children and adults can be identified already at the initial stages, just knowing how much white blood cells, platelets and red blood cells are contained in the blood. In this article, we will consider the situation when the amount of platelets in the child's blood exceeds the norm. This condition is called thrombocytosis, but sometimes it is also called thrombocythemia. You will learn why a child can have platelets raised, what level of their content is considered normal in children and what methods are used to treat thrombocytosis.
Platelets are the smallest, denuclearized blood cells that collectively are responsible for clotting and stopping bleeding. Platelets are produced in the red bone marrow by special cells - megakaryocytes.
The number of platelets is calculated in units of one millimeter cubic and directly depends on the child's age. Thus, in a newborn the norm of the content of these blood cells is from 100 000 to 420 000, in the period from 10 days to 1 year - 150 000 - 350 000, and in children over the age of their number is, as in adults, 180 000 - 320 000 units.
Therefore, if a blood test taken from an infant shows that platelets are raised, say, up to 450,000 units, then this is an obvious sign of thrombocytosis.
Especially vigilant parents may suspect thrombocytosis from their baby. Excessive amounts of platelets necessary for blood clotting can unnecessarily block blood vessels, forming blood clots, which, as you understand, is very, very dangerous. In this case, the child may have symptoms such as increased bleeding (especially nosebleeds "for no reason"), frequent "swelling" of feet and hands, dizziness and weakness. These signs in the complex should alert you, and a blood test can only confirm or disprove the assumption of a high level of platelets in a child.
The causes of increased platelets in children
There are many possible reasons for this phenomenon, and it is almost impossible to determine which of them caused a high level of platelets in your child. Here you can not do without the participation of a pediatrician, who, if necessary, will refer you to a specialist on blood issues - a hematologist.
Thrombocytosis is primary and secondary.
- The causes of primary thrombocytosis are hereditary or acquired blood diseases - myeloleukemia, erythremia, thrombocythemia.
- Secondary thrombocytosis is most often the result of a serious infectious disease - pneumonia, meningitis, hepatitis, toxoplasmosis, etc. In this case, the body begins to intensively produce a hormone that promotes the maturation of platelets to quickly cope with inflammation.
- In addition, thrombocytosis often occurs after surgical interventions (especially removal of the spleen, which in a healthy person deposits, that is, destroys, already worked out platelets) and severe stress in the child.
Treatment of thrombocytosis
When the level of platelets in a child is high, it means that the blood is thicker than it should be. For the dilution of blood, appropriate medications are used, but this can also be done with the use of certain products:
The drug treatment of thrombocytosis directly depends on whether it is primary or secondary. If the increased level of platelets is a complication of the underlying disease, then the doctors deal with the elimination of the underlying cause. Having cured the disease, it is not necessary to adjust the blood composition to normal: it will recover itself. If thrombocytosis is caused directly by abnormalities in the formation and development of blood cells, then in such cases, prescribe drugs that slow the production of platelets and prevent blood clotting.