BLOOD CELLS IN HEALTHY YOUNG INFANTS

Abstract

A review of the literature reveals how little accurate information exists concerning the possible variations which may be found in the leukocyte counts of a healthy infant. A brief perusal of the most modern textbooks of pediatrics shows an even greater lack of data in regard to such individual variations. The presentation of average figures for babies of a given age is not very helpful. The assumption that "average" means "normal" for a given organism is pernicious. It has been well established for a quarter of a century that the total number of leukocytes in the peripheral blood stream is subject to considerable fluctuation during the course of a few hours. This fact might well lead one to inquire how great a variation from the average may be consistent with health and what degree of fluctuation points to the presence of some disease process. An additional question is whether there