A child's blood test is one of the most informative medical studies. He can show hidden pathologies, help to make a clear diagnosis. Parents should know how to donate blood, how to prepare for it, and what to do after receiving the results.
Mom and child in consultation with a pediatrician
Why do you need a complete blood count
When an adult has a pain, he goes to the doctor and describes his condition. A child, especially when it comes to a very tiny child, cannot do that. Then a general blood test comes to the rescue, or abbreviated as UAC.
Blood is the main fluid of the human body, which is found in all organs. This is not just red water, it is a complex concentrated solution with many components. Their ratio demonstrates the state of the body.
Indications for UAC
It is planned that children donate blood immediately after birth, in the month and year of their life. Parents may also be asked to appoint an analysis if it is important for them to check the condition of their child.
Blood sampling from an infant
There are a number of indications when this study is required.
UAC from a child is taken in the following cases:
- To confirm a controversial diagnosis;
- For the dynamics of the baby's condition;
- To check children's health upon admission to a hospital or educational institution (without analysis, in this case, they can deploy and not accept until the study is completed).
Note! KLA is required before vaccinations. They can only be given to absolutely healthy children. If the baby looks healthy, but according to the analysis, something is wrong, the vaccination will be transferred - it may be in some hidden internal problem.
Where to rent
Parents have two options:
- Contact the state children's clinic;
- Go to a private clinic.
In the first case, the reception is always carried out in the honey room. institutions. An adult must first get a referral for analysis in his hands, in some cities - sign up for a certain time (if there is no such record, then people stand in a first line). On the appointed day, the parent with the child goes to the treatment room.
The kid is registered for an appointment at the state clinic
In a private clinic, referrals are not required. In the morning they bring a little patient and immediately submit the material for analysis. In addition, for a fee, you can call a nurse to your home, so as not to go with the baby somewhere. This is especially true for newborn boys and girls, who can easily become infected in a large crowd of people.
How long to wait for results
In the state polyclinic KLA do from one working day or longer. That is, most often the result can be obtained the next day. In all cities in different ways, somewhere you need to wait a few days.
The way the result is output is also different in each case. Somewhere in the hands of adults are given an A4 sheet with the results. Somewhere to the direction they attach a long, narrow piece of paper like a check (all the necessary data in it) and much less often the result is written by hand.
The results can be obtained from the pediatrician or in the office for issuing certificates and referrals. Thanks to innovations, they are now available to receive online. To do this, you need to register on the city portal and indicate your email address in the required section.
Receive results at home by mail
Preparing for blood donation
So that the deciphering of the blood test does not show false results in the child, it is important to properly prepare for delivery. This means observing the following points:
- Hand over material in the morning, after sleep. It is at this time that the concentration of the components is maximum. Then the picture will be smeared;
- Do not feed the child, especially the sweet one, as this also significantly distorts the result. Also, the night before, it is recommended to give up the abundance of sugar, allergens, fatty foods. The recommended interval between meals and blood donation is 8 hours, no less.
It is possible to give a baby to drink only with pure water (nothing else), especially if he has thick blood, with increased coagulability. This will make it a little thinner, making it easier for the nurse to take the sample for testing. Blood for general analysis is taken from a finger. If it coagulates quickly, then from a vein, as for a clinical study.
If we talk about newborn babies, then everything is a little different. You will still have to visit the treatment room in the morning (at what time it depends on the medical institution, usually the reception hours are from 8 to 11 am). There is no strict nutritional requirement for newborns before donating blood.
At the pediatrician at the reception
The fact is that newborn babies eat very often, the intervals between feedings are from 1 hour to 3. It is impossible to keep such a baby hungry all night, therefore it is allowed to feed him, but preferably at least two hours before the analysis.
Important! What else can mom and dad do when preparing a newborn to donate blood - not to make this event a tragedy. Do not frighten children with doctors, cry during the procedure yourself, start actively regretting, etc. With all this, adults demonstrate to the child that something terrible is happening, which should be feared. This fear (both of injections and of people in white coats in general) often persists for life, complicating it. Therefore, it is better for the parent to keep himself calm from the very beginning. After all, this is a simple ordinary situation, which should not be scared at all.
What is checked by blood test
Deciphering the KLA of the child is the task of the pediatrician. Only he, having completed training and having gained practice, will be able to correctly evaluate all the data as a result.
The parent should have at least a general idea of what is being checked and why. Often all the values in the summary sheet are abbreviated (from names in Latin). If you don't know how they are deciphered, you can get completely confused.
So, according to the UAC, the following indicators are checked:
- Red blood cells (RBC). It is the most abundant component of the blood. Shows the level of red blood cells that contain hemoglobin.
Erythrocytes
- Hemoglobin (Hb). It is a protein that captures oxygen molecules and transports them to the tissue from the lung. It also carries carbon dioxide from cells to the lungs for exhalation.
- Average volume (CV). Shows the number of red blood cells in general. Its meaning is relative and is not key.
- Color Index (MCH). Demonstrates how much total hemoglobin is contained in one red blood cell. There is a similar study, MCHS, which shows the average hemoglobin concentration in all red blood cells.
- Reticulocytes (RTC). Newly formed erythrocytes. The blood is constantly renewed, therefore they are always there. Their number grows after blood loss.
- Platelets (PLT). Something that makes the blood clot. Thanks to platelets, wounds and scratches heal.
- Thrombocytes (PTC). One of the most important indicators that characterizes the percentage of platelets in the blood. This demonstrates a tendency to thrombosis or heavy bleeding.
- ESR (ESR). An indicator that says how soon red blood cells are deposited. In diseases and inflammations, this indicator greatly deviates from the norm.
- Leukocytes (WBC). The body's defenses are white blood cells that neutralize harmful agents (i.e. viruses, bacteria, etc.).
- Leukocyte formula. It talks about how many types of leukocytes (there are many of them) are in the blood. In illness, their ratio changes.
- Neutrophilic leukocytes. Leukocytes, which are the most. They are also called segmented neutrophils. They fight bacteria. Stab neutrophils are young, newly formed neutrophilic leukocytes. Their level is sometimes measured too.
- Eosinophils (EOS). The same cells that perform protective functions. Their number is shown by the leukocyte formula.
- Basophils (BAS). Leukocytes, which are the least. Their level increases with poisoning, allergies, infections, as well as diseases of the hematopoietic system.
- Lymphocytes (LYM). Part of human immunity. They react to harmful agents that enter the body.
- Monocytes (MON). "Cleaners" of blood, cleansing it from foreign components. If there are many monocytes, there is probably an infection somewhere in the body.
The norm of KLA indicators for newborns
The interval values of the norm of all indicators of the CBC for a newborn (and other ages) are in the table below.
Table with normal blood counts
Important! Above are the average data. Each laboratory has its own reagents, which can react differently to blood elements. Therefore, it is preferable to decipher the result by the values indicated by the medical institution itself that conducted the analysis.
What to do in case of deviations
Any deviation from the norm indicates problems:
- Red blood cell deficiency is a symptom of anemia or vitamin deficiency. The surplus is chronic diseases. A newborn boy has a higher level of these elements than a newborn girl.
- High hemoglobin indicates increased blood clotting, dehydration. Low - anemia.
- A large number of platelets is a symptom of inflammation. Small - hemolytic disease of the newborn.
- A leukocyte surplus indicates infection, stress, and overwork. Deficiency is a sign of allergies and a number of infectious diseases (like chickenpox, for example).
- Increased ESR is also evidence of inflammation. Low - it happens with dystrophy.
- A low neutrophil count means there are bacteria and viruses in the blood or more serious problems like radiation exposure. Their high level occurs with insect bites.
- Monocytes are elevated if there is a virus or serious illness. There are few of them if something suppresses the work of the bone marrow.
- There are many eosinophils for parasitic infestation, allergies or skin diseases. Their low level is a sign of bacterial infection and nervous exhaustion.
- Basophils increase with anemia, chronic gastrointestinal problems, sinusitis. There are few of them with thyroid dysfunction, for example.
The UAC actually shows a much larger list of problems than described above, therefore only a doctor should decipher its result. Further actions depend on his recommendations. Perhaps the baby has nothing serious (some indicators may be higher or lower than normal in infancy, this is not scary). Maybe the baby needs more research.
Medical consultation
Important to remember! Self-medication is dangerous to the health of the baby. Parents, if honey. have no education, should contact a pediatrician and clearly follow all his instructions.
