A blood test is prescribed for children for a preventive examination, in order to identify latent pathologies in time, and for various diseases to clarify the diagnosis or control treatment. In the blood test form, you can see not only the result of counting blood cells and the amount of hemoglobin, but also some other indicators, the meaning of which is unfamiliar to most parents. One of them is the color indicator. Let's figure out why it is needed and what to do if the child has such an indicator.
What is it
A color index (CPU) is a parameter that is calculated using a special formula. It helps determine how much hemoglobin is inside the red blood cells. The parameter tells how red blood cells cope with their main function - the exchange of gases to provide all the cells of the child's body with oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from them.
Calculation of the color index for children
Usually the color indicator is noted by the laboratory assistant on the blood test form, but you can calculate it yourself. To do this, you need to know:
- Erythrocyte count (CE)
- Hemoglobin level (G)
To calculate, multiply G by 3 and divide by the first three digits of the SE (the comma is not taken into account). For example, erythrocytes in a child are 4x1012/ l, and hemoglobin - 120 g / l. Then to calculate the CPU you need (120x3): 400, and as a result we get 0.9.
If the figure is obtained with a large number of decimal places, it is rounded to the nearest hundredth. For example, when the number of erythrocytes is 3.3x1012/ l and a hemoglobin level of 95 g / l, we need (95x3): 330. The result is 0.8636, which is 0.86 after rounding.
An analogue of this indicator in a modern blood test is the erythrocyte index MCHC (this is the mean concentration of hemoglobin in red blood cells). The parameter is needed to diagnose anemia, in particular, to determine its cause and degree.
What CPU is normal in children
The normal CP value is influenced by the child's age. In newly born babies, this indicator is higher, which is associated with the presence of cells with fetal hemoglobin in the bloodstream. However, by the month the color index decreases, and at the age of over a year it becomes less than one. Normal CPU is also called normochromia.
The color standard for children of different ages is:
Reasons for lowering the CPU
If the color index in a child is lowered, this is called hypochromia. It is often diagnosed when there is a violation of the formation of red blood cells and their filling with hemoglobin due to iron deficiency. At the same time, normal size erythrocytes may not have enough hemoglobin, or the erythrocytes themselves may be smaller (they are called microcytes).
If the parameter is determined below the norm in a baby, this is due to anemia in the expectant mother during the gestation period, or to malnutrition of a nursing mother. In older children, anemia is most often triggered by an unbalanced diet, for example, if the child is eating irregularly or following a vegetarian diet.
The reason for the low hemoglobin content in erythrocytes may be the child's active growth or lack of physical activity, as well as a disease of the digestive system, due to which nutrients are less absorbed.
In addition to iron deficiency anemia, lower CPU may be caused by:
- Renal failure
- Damage to the bone marrow, in which the formation of red blood cells is impaired.
- Cirrhosis of the liver.
- Hemoglobinopathy.
- Malignant tumor.
- Lead poisoning.
Symptoms of a low CPU
If the child has a low CPU due to anemia, then the mother will notice such manifestations of the disease as:
- Pallor of the skin and mucous membranes.
- Lethargy and weakness, as well as the rapid onset of fatigue during normal activity.
- Decreased appetite or desire to eat inedible items such as chalk.
- The appearance of dizziness and frequent headaches, as well as tinnitus.
- The skin of the limbs is cold to the touch.
- Subfebrile body temperature.
- Brittle nails and hair deterioration.
- Increased breathing and heart rate.
- Worsening sleep.
- Frequent occurrence of viral infections and colds.
What to do
Having found a low color indicator in the blood test of a son or daughter, you should go with the child to the pediatrician. The doctor will take into account other results of the analysis, as well as complaints, after which he will send the child for additional research. In most cases, the cause of low CP is anemia, therefore, in the general analysis, there will also be a reduced number of red blood cells and a reduced level of hemoglobin. However, in some babies, low CP signals kidney problems, so the child is also referred for urinalysis and, if necessary, for an ultrasound of the kidneys.
If a decrease in the color index below the norm is detected with iron deficiency anemia, the pediatrician will prescribe iron supplements to the child, and will also advise how to correct the diet. At the same time, it is important for parents to remember that only a change in the diet with an already existing anemia will not help cure it.
Adding foods that have enough iron to the children's diet only helps to prevent the onset of anemia or stop the progression of this disease. So listen to your doctor and treat your child according to their recommendations. And then the color indicator will quickly return to its normal value.
It is possible to increase hemoglobin in the blood without using pharmaceutical preparations, but with the help of traditional medicine and proper nutrition.
Next, Dr. Komarovsky will tell you how to determine the level of hemoglobin, what to do if it is low, what are the ways to increase hemoglobin, as well as what products promote and prevent the absorption of iron into the blood.
