P61.5: Transient neonatal neutropenia

Blood is made up of a liquid part and different blood cells, among other things. Blood cells are produced in the bone marrow of some bones. The bone marrow is inside bone. The blood cells include the white blood cells, for example. White blood cells are part of the body’s immune system. They fight pathogens. White blood cells are also known as immune cells.

There are different reasons why a newborn baby might not have enough immune cells in its blood. The mother's immune system may have produced certain antibodies that are attacking the child's immune cells. The antibodies can get into the child's blood via the placenta. The placenta forms in the mother’s womb during pregnancy, and connects the mother and child. In the child's blood, the mother's antibodies can destroy the child's immune cells. The amount of immune cells may also have reduced if the newborn baby has an inflammation caused by pathogens.

The child can also have a shortage of immune cells if it has a bone marrow disorder. Then, it may be that not enough immune cells are being produced in the bone marrow. Some medications can also cause a reduced amount of certain immune cells.

When there are too few immune cells in the blood, pathogens can cause illnesses. For example, the skin or the remains of the umbilical cord can get inflamed after the birth. The newborn baby can then get a fever, too.