Abnormal Lab Results!

First of all, take a breath. You are doing the right things, first by taking him in to a clinic when he wasn't feeling well, & then by following up with your regular doctor for consistency of care.

The elevated ALT is a liver test, to detect liver injury. This can occur when people have exercised too strenuously, or if they are on drugs at a dosage that their body is unable to metabolize properly. It can even be due to growth spurts in young children. A repeat of the blood test to see if the levels are consistent, or if it was just a peak that got caught would be appropriate.
http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/alanine-aminotra...

The low neutrophils is concerning however. These white blood cells are what fight off infections in the body. If they are critically low, it means that either he isn't making them properly, or he has been fighting a strong or chronic infection to the point where they are depleted. Hopefully the blood work next week will show an improvement.

In the meantime, take a look @ this website for information on how to protect him from infection risk, since his immune system isn't where it should be right now.
http://www.upmc.com/patients-visitors/education/cancer/pa...

Praying that none of these indicators result in anything serious, & your little man is doing well with a bit of time! T.

What do you mean by critically low neutrophils? My daughter had extremely low neutrophils and her doctor didn't mess around. We were immediately referred to a hematologist at a children's hospital. We also had to repeat the lab work the next day and the doctor put an order on it to read it immediately.

Neutrophils can be off from a virus. Honestly it does not sound like they were "critically low". If they were critically low your child would be in a hospital or at a minimum been referred to a hematologist.

Also, kids that have immune issues typically also have all kinds of infections specifically skin infections and full blown pneumonia (not walking pneumonia) The biggest fear however is leukemia. Honestly, if your doctor thought for a second your child had leukemia you would be at a children's hospital as we speak.

Try to relax and trust your son's doctor knows what s/he is doing.

FYI...my daughter is perfectly fine and healthy. I do understand the fear you have however but I really think your son is fine based on the fact his pediatrician did not tell you to go to the hospital.

I'd have follow up lab tests in a week or so and work on getting your son to have a more balanced diet.

While low neutrophils can be a symptom of a whole slew of things, it can be a rebound from fighting off a virus.

I have extremely low neutrophils all of the time. I have had a low neutrophil count all of my adult life (who knows about childhood - this was discovered when I was supposed to be a bone marrow donor). Anyway, I don't ever creep into the normal range - mine fluctuates from really low to low. I function normally and I am somehow able to fight off infections as I am not sick all of the time (I did seem to pick up everything when I was a child). My bone marrow was tested and I produce an appropriate amount but they aren't circulating in my blood stream like everyone else.

Anyway, follow up - see what follow up tests say and try not to be overly concerned until there is something certain to be concerned about.

Welcome to mamapedia!

Breathe. Deep inhale...let it out slowly...breathe...

While I typically tell people to stay off the internet to try and diagnose something...I did a check on neutrophilis...this is what I found.
http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/neutropenia/basics/def...

So the doctor is right in assuming he's hoping he's getting over a virus.

The low iron? Make sure your doctor tells you what Iron he needs. My son (who is 12) had low iron...and I asked the doctor to confirm WHAT type of iron - his was stored iron. So we needed to give him Ferratin.

The ALT is a liver test. The ALT test gives information on how much enzyme (alanine aminotransferase) is in the blood. When the liver is working hard, this number goes up. Yes, it could mean the liver is damaged but if that were the case? They wouldn't have just let you go home. Stating it's elevated, for me?? would mean that your son's liver is working to clear out whatever he is fighting.

As to the picky eater? Sorry. I am not a short order cook and don't make special meals for my kids. They eat what I fix or they don't. If he doesn't have allergies? Don't give in to his tantrums of not liking foods. He needs to try stuff. Expand his palette. I promise you, he won't starve himself.

I see this all the time. Kids don't eat all that well, but our food is so depleted of nutrients, it's not surprising even in kids and adults who eat better than your little guy. Most everyone has a suppressed immune system and that's why autoimmune issues are on the rise, with increased food sensitivities, and why we're not healthier than people were a generation ago. It's also another reason why there is such concern about everyone exposed to people who don't vaccinate. So your child is just going to catch everything - the viruses and bacterial infections. He's got some immunity of course, but not enough.

A cautionary note: supplementing just with the nutrient a person is "low in" is no longer done by progressive doctors/nutrition experts. It's very difficult to absorb nutrients this way, and the body doesn't use them efficiently. A comprehensive supplement makes more sense. But if you do this right, your child's situation is easily reversible. I think that would help with the fatigue and tummy aches.

If there's any question about the blood work, do have it repeated. But also try to calm down. This is an easy fix if you have the right info and the right supplement.