When High WBC Strikes Again

A day after our baby turned 5 month old, a fever felt by Jhaydii made us to worry about was it all about - dengue is epidemic and we're afraid the fever is caused by it. 

At night of August 21, while we were sleeping and as I embraced her during her sleep, I felt her head was warm, I ignored and thought it was just normal. But as the night went through, she cried incessantly, made us worry really. When I couldn't stop her cries, my mother helped me out, she cuddled JD and tried to pacify. She did, but after some hour and after she had short sleep, she cried again. It kept on happening until the day of August 22nd. I cannot endure seeing her suffering and crying, my husband told me to bring her to her pediatrician and have her checked. So on the afternoon, I brought her to Community General Hospital.

Since it was already noon, her pedia had no clinic anymore, we checked in ER and she was examined. When we were there, she was active and happy, no trace of sickness can be seen. The attending nurse put the thermometer on her underarm and I held it until it beeped, showed 37 degrees C, so the resident doctor said "Ay walang lagnat" when she saw the temperature. She then gave me two referrals, one for urinalysis and the other is CBC. JD had them both. 

We waited for more than an hour to get the result, and finally had them. When I got the results I checked the platelets, it was normal - 300+ I was relieved knowing that she isn't have dengue. Checked the urinalysis - she has UTI. :(

I handed the results tothe resident physician, and was in a high tone saying "Mataas ang WBC!" (WBC is high). JD had 20.14 which should only be 2-10. And that was the cause of her fever. She was supposed to be admitted, but because rooms were fully utilized, we had no choice but to bring her home. Her pediatrician talked to the resident physician and me, she advised me that JD should take an antibiotic to decrease the WBC - she will take for 7 days (Amoxil).

When JD was born, she was left in the nursery for 4 days, because of her high WBC, which she got from me. That high WBC was treated during her stay. And now, she had it again. I was dubious or even unaware what's causing the WBC (white blood cells) to become high. Fortunately, when I go back to work after a week of leave of absence to take care of JD, Eunice, a registered nurse, explained to me the reason of getting a high WBC. JD has cold, and the bacteria is there so the WBC is infected fighting the bacteria. It became clear to me now why JD's WBC became high, because of her cold. So it must be shunned as much as possible.

She is completely well now, thank God. I was afraid of JD having her experience a high fever as high as 40. I did not sleep the night she was in that temperature, I waited for it to diminish before I took my sleep. 

High WBC can be prevented by staying away from bacteria or anything that will cause the baby sneeze and get cold. That's my assumption :) which I believe is true.

So mama, please watch those persons who will kiss your babies, say no don't kiss them on their cheek or any part of the face, kiss them anywhere of the body, to be safe.

Just to share,