A child's blood test is an important examination method that helps to identify various disorders in the body of children. Such an analysis determines many indicators, among which there is the level of reticulocytes. What kind of cells are these, what should be their normal number in children, and how can it change in diseases?
Role of reticulocytes
The name "reticulocytes" was given to young erythrocytes for the presence of mesh structures inside such cells.
Reticulocytes are an intermediate form between normoblasts formed in the bone marrow and mature erythrocytes, which are present in the child's peripheral blood in large numbers.
It is from reticulocytes that erythrocytes are formed, so the content of these precursor cells in the blood is insignificant. Their transformation is regulated by a hormone secreted by the kidneys called "erythropoietin" and occurs on average in 1-3 days.
The norm in children
In the child's blood, reticulocytes (RTC) are determined in ppm. In newborn babies, there are normally more such cells than in infants older than a month. Already from the fifth day after birth, the level of reticulocytes decreases.
The norm of such cells at different ages is:
Based on the number of reticulocytes in the blood of children, one can judge the work of the bone marrow (the activity of producing red blood cells). This indicator is especially important if you suspect anemia, after bleeding, bone marrow transplantation, while taking toxic drugs or treatment with iron, folic acid and vitamin B12.
Elevated reticulocytes
An increased amount of reticulocytes in the blood is called reticulocytosis. Its detection, depending on the cause of the high percentage of such cells, can be either a positive fact or a symptom of the disease.
For example, the doctor will be happy to see increased reticulocytes if the child is treated for deficiency anemia, because this means that therapy is helping. Also, reticulocytosis will be a good sign three to four after bleeding, since it will mean adequate work of the bone marrow to restore the lost red blood cells.
If the child has undergone chemotherapy or radiation therapy, reticulocytosis is also referred to as positive symptoms of bone marrow restoration. Increased reticulocytes in the blood of a child staying in a mountainous area indicate that the body copes well with the increased oxygen demand.
However, reticulocytosis can be a symptom of some pathologies:
- Hemolytic or deficiency anemia.
- Internal bleeding.
- Malaria.
- Poisoning, in which the poison affects the bone marrow.
- Bone marrow inflammation.
- Bone marrow metastases.
Decreased reticulocytes
A decrease in the level of reticulocytes in a child's blood is called reticulocytopenia. Such a picture in a child's blood test may indicate a violation of the formation of red blood cells in the bone marrow, resulting in erythropenia and tissue hypoxia.
This occurs when:
- Anemia caused by iron deficiency.
- B12 or folate deficiency anemia.
- Aplastic anemia.
- Kidney disease.
- Bone marrow tumors or metastases.
- Radiation sickness.
- Toxic effects on the bone marrow.
- Autoimmune diseases.
- Carbon monoxide poisoning.
What to do when the level of reticulocytes changes
The mere fact of increased or decreased reticulocytes is not a diagnosis and does not indicate a disease. To find out if a child has a disease, it is important to conduct a series of additional examinations.
Only after the pathological cause of reticulocytosis or a decrease in the level of such cells is identified, the child is prescribed the required treatment, after which the level of reticulocytes becomes normal.
