Soe in blood test

The easiest and fastest way to find out if there are problems in the body is to take a complete blood count. All mothers know that for babies such a procedure should be regular. One of the important indicators of the norm is the level of ESR in the blood. Children have some nuances of deciphering this value, depending on the age of the little patient.

Accessible and safe

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate is an indicator of the ability of red blood cells to connect with each other. If the ESR in the blood of children is not normal, this is a sign of an inflammatory or other pathological process. Of course, it is impossible to determine the nature of the disease only by such a “standard” (this is done by a combination of different indicators), but it is necessary to begin to find out the reason for the deviation.

A pediatrician regularly sends a baby for a complete blood count, even if there are no visible abnormalities in health. In time detected violations in the circulatory system can diagnose diseases at an early stage. In addition, a complete blood count is prescribed if:

• the baby has suffered a viral or infectious disease (in order to detect complications in a timely manner);
• the child had an injury (perhaps, correctional therapy will be required to restore blood circulation);
• the crumb is often sick (perhaps the reason for violations related to the provision of oxygen to the tissues of the body, in particular, the ear-throat-nose).

That is why many mothers themselves take the initiative and ask the district police officer to give a referral to a blood test with a finger every 3-4 months.

Norms and age

The circulatory system of the child, like all organs, grows and develops. That is why, until the age of 14, the ESR indicators are unstable. And from the age of 6, the division into the norm begins separately for boys and for girls. This is due to the approach of puberty, which determines the regular blood loss in girls.

However, in all children with age, the limits of the norm expand because of the increasing influence on the health of external factors. In newborns, this discrepancy is only 3 units - from 2 to 4 mm / h. The rate of ESR in children under one year ranges from 3 to 10 mm / h.

After a year up to 5 years, the ESR rate is between 5 and 11 mm / h. In boys from 6 to 14 years, the value of the lower limit slightly decreases, and the upper, on the contrary, increases from 4 to 12 mm / h. While girls of the same age, the sedimentation rate of red blood cells should be from 5 to 13 mm / h. From the age of 14, the norm for girls is 2-15 mm / h, and for boys it is 1-10 mm / h.

Reasons for raising

To talk about the presence of inflammation, be sure to analyze all blood parameters. For example, if not only the rate of ESR in children 3 years of age is exceeded, but the level of lymphocytes is high, it is likely that the cause is a viral infection. Moreover, for kids of this age, such a factor of destabilization of the immune system is fully justified: they go to kindergarten, where there are potentially more viruses than at home. If the blood test shows and increased neutrophils, then, most likely, we are talking about a bacterial infection.

In general, increased ESR in young patients may be associated with:

• toothache during the period of eruption;
• seasonal avitaminosis;
• unbalanced diet, which is dominated by fatty foods;
• side effects of medication;
• emotional distress or stress.

In addition, going beyond the upper limit of the ESR indicates:

• acute or chronic forms of the disease;
• trauma;
• intoxication;
• allergies;
• immunity disorder.

To identify the problem, after a blood test, the doctor prescribes urine samples, biochemical blood analysis, ultrasound of the organs, X-rays, etc. During the treatment process, the blood will have to be donated more than once, as this will help the doctor to conclude that the chosen therapy is appropriate. And parents should not expect that the ESR will quickly return to normal: usually it takes at least a month.

Why is ESR lowered?

Quite rarely, a blood test in children shows a deviation in the ESR norm towards a decrease. In this case, the red blood cells interact poorly with each other. This is usually associated with:

• circulatory disorders;
• blood thinning, which leads to poor clotting;
• recent poisoning;
• bad stool;
• depletion of the body;
• hepatitis viral origin;
• disorders of the heart;
• dystrophy.

In the case of a low ESR, the doctor must prescribe additional diagnostics.

How to return the indicator to normal?

The main condition for the normalization of ESR is the treatment of the root cause of the violation of the indicator. In itself, it is not treated. Just pay attention to the fact that a slight - by 1-4 units - deviation from the boundaries is quite acceptable. If the oscillation exceeds 15 mm / h, then, most likely, the child has an acute infection or inflammation, and an ESR of 30-40 mm / h indicates a serious illness requiring prolonged treatment. And even after complete recovery, the small body will still need some time to bring this process back to normal.

One of the important indicators of the proper operation of all systems of the human body is the rate of ESR. In children, this value is unstable and depends on age. Any significant fluctuations in the direction of increasing or decreasing the data of the study need additional diagnostics and prescription of treatment only by its results.