Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
What Does My Lab Test Reports Indicate?
Question: I am currently 39 weeks pregnants just days away from delivery. I had to print out my medical records pertaining to this pregnancy yesterday and something gave me quite a fright. My cbc at around 13 weeks pregnant was as follows:
Wbc: 2.5 verified by rpt analysis X10\S\3/mm
Rbc: 4.10 X10\S\6/mm
Hgb: 12.3 g/dL
Low Hct: 35.9 %
Mcv: 87.6 fL
Mch: 30.0 pg
Mchc: 34.3 g/dL
Rdw: 13.3 %
Plt: 154 X10\S\3/mm
Mpv: 9.6 fL
Lymph%: 49.5 %
Low Neut%: 36.8 %
Ly#: 1.2 K/uL
Gran#: 0.9 K/uL
Mid#: 0.3 K/uL
High Mid%: 13.7 %
My OBGYN never mentioned any of that. CBC was repeated after 2 and 4 months from the initial test, both times wbc and all other values were within normal range. The reason I am concerned about this is that I read that low white blood count is characteristic for viral infections, including Cytomegalovirus (im most probably not immune). I further remebered that only 4 days prior to this test I had a friend visit me with her 2 small kids and the baby drooled on my hand. I dont know if the baby was shedding CMV or not. Obviously CMV is very dangerous in pregnancy but it takes weeks to incubate (?). I am wondering if CMV infection would show up only 4 days later in a CBC.
Also on certain sites it says that CMV infection results in elevated, not reduced WBC count.
What other reasons might there be for such results? I was diagnosed with yest infection at that very visit. Also I had a bad tooth infection approx 2 weeks prior. Otherwise I had no symptoms of an infection, no fever etc. and felt very well. Baby is doing well also per sonograms. However I already convinced myself per these results that it was CMV and am horribly scared.
Wbc: 2.5 verified by rpt analysis X10\S\3/mm
Rbc: 4.10 X10\S\6/mm
Hgb: 12.3 g/dL
Low Hct: 35.9 %
Mcv: 87.6 fL
Mch: 30.0 pg
Mchc: 34.3 g/dL
Rdw: 13.3 %
Plt: 154 X10\S\3/mm
Mpv: 9.6 fL
Lymph%: 49.5 %
Low Neut%: 36.8 %
Ly#: 1.2 K/uL
Gran#: 0.9 K/uL
Mid#: 0.3 K/uL
High Mid%: 13.7 %
My OBGYN never mentioned any of that. CBC was repeated after 2 and 4 months from the initial test, both times wbc and all other values were within normal range. The reason I am concerned about this is that I read that low white blood count is characteristic for viral infections, including Cytomegalovirus (im most probably not immune). I further remebered that only 4 days prior to this test I had a friend visit me with her 2 small kids and the baby drooled on my hand. I dont know if the baby was shedding CMV or not. Obviously CMV is very dangerous in pregnancy but it takes weeks to incubate (?). I am wondering if CMV infection would show up only 4 days later in a CBC.
Also on certain sites it says that CMV infection results in elevated, not reduced WBC count.
What other reasons might there be for such results? I was diagnosed with yest infection at that very visit. Also I had a bad tooth infection approx 2 weeks prior. Otherwise I had no symptoms of an infection, no fever etc. and felt very well. Baby is doing well also per sonograms. However I already convinced myself per these results that it was CMV and am horribly scared.
Brief Answer:
No chance of fetal infection
Detailed Answer:
Hi dear,
I have gone through your question and understand your concerns.
Erratic WBC counts are common in pregnancy.
Moreover, if there was CMV infection, then it would have been evident in the ultrasound as increased fluid around the fetus, calcification in brain and liver, microcephaly, and intrauterine growth restriction.
Since the ultrasound is normal through out the pregnancy and you had no symptoms of CMV , there are absolutely no risk of this infection.
You should not worry and be positive.
Wishing you all the best.
Hope you found the answer helpful.
Regards
Dr Deepti Verma
OBGYN
Maternal and fetal medicine specialist
No chance of fetal infection
Detailed Answer:
Hi dear,
I have gone through your question and understand your concerns.
Erratic WBC counts are common in pregnancy.
Moreover, if there was CMV infection, then it would have been evident in the ultrasound as increased fluid around the fetus, calcification in brain and liver, microcephaly, and intrauterine growth restriction.
Since the ultrasound is normal through out the pregnancy and you had no symptoms of CMV , there are absolutely no risk of this infection.
You should not worry and be positive.
Wishing you all the best.
Hope you found the answer helpful.
Regards
Dr Deepti Verma
OBGYN
Maternal and fetal medicine specialist
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Brief Answer:
Please upload your reports
Detailed Answer:
Hi dear,
Please upload all the reports of blood counts so that I can help you better.
Regards
Dr Deepti Verma
Please upload your reports
Detailed Answer:
Hi dear,
Please upload all the reports of blood counts so that I can help you better.
Regards
Dr Deepti Verma
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
I have uploaded the bloodwork reports from the month I am concerned with (AUGUST) as well as the two reports that followed (OCTOBER AND DECEMBER).
This was all part of routine prenatal care. The doctor was not concerned about anything except for anemia in the last 2 reports.
What could have happened to me in August. Would that report be typical of CMV infection? What could be other causes? Could this be a mistake?
Thank you for all your help.
This was all part of routine prenatal care. The doctor was not concerned about anything except for anemia in the last 2 reports.
What could have happened to me in August. Would that report be typical of CMV infection? What could be other causes? Could this be a mistake?
Thank you for all your help.
Brief Answer:
Likely error
Detailed Answer:
Hi dear,
I have reviewed all your reports.
These are the automated counts of blood, and there can be a error in these machine counts.
This is not typical of CMV infection.
The following two reports show absolutely normal WBC counts, which again makes error in reporting most likely possibility in the first report. Please do not worry at all.
Regards
Dr Deepti Verma
Likely error
Detailed Answer:
Hi dear,
I have reviewed all your reports.
These are the automated counts of blood, and there can be a error in these machine counts.
This is not typical of CMV infection.
The following two reports show absolutely normal WBC counts, which again makes error in reporting most likely possibility in the first report. Please do not worry at all.
Regards
Dr Deepti Verma
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Yogesh D
Answered by
Dr. Deepti Verma
OBGYN, Maternal and Fetal Medicine
Practicing since :2009
Answered : 5064 Questions
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
