What is the cause of high platelet count in children?

Children's bodies are relatively weak, so they are prone to various health conditions. During the growth period of young children, parents need to pay extremely careful and patient attention to observe and solve any abnormal physical conditions of their children. These health problems must be discovered and resolved as early as possible. During tests at the hospital, some children are found to have high platelet counts. What is going on? Here is a simple answer to this question.

1. What are platelets? Platelets are one of the formed elements in mammalian blood. They are small pieces of cytoplasm with biological activity that fall off from the cytoplasm of mature megakaryocytes in the bone marrow. They are small in size, without nucleus, and are disc-shaped with two slightly concave sides. There are (100~300)×10^9 cells/L, and the diameter is 2-3 microns. Platelets have long been viewed as non-functional cell fragments in the blood.

2. The role of platelets: They play an important role in physiological and pathological processes such as hemostasis, wound healing, inflammatory response, thrombosis and organ transplant rejection.

3. Causes of thrombocytosis in children: When the platelet count is >400×10^9/L, it is thrombocytosis. Primary thrombocytosis is common in myeloproliferative diseases, such as chronic myeloid leukemia, polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, etc.; thrombocythemia is common in patients with acute and chronic inflammation, iron deficiency anemia and cancer. This type of increase generally does not exceed 500×10^9/L. The situation improves after treatment and the platelet count will quickly drop to normal levels. After splenectomy, platelet count will increase significantly, often higher than 600×10^9/L, and then slowly decrease to the normal range.

The platelet count in the human body has a fixed value. If it is excess or less than the normal value, it must be a cause for concern. It is best to find out the cause in time and take corresponding measures. If the situation is serious, it is best to go to the hospital to see a doctor and seek professional help and treatment. I hope the above explanation of high platelet count in children can help friends who have questions on this issue.