When a baby is afflicted by genetic disease affecting immune system

Baby. (File Photo: IANS)
An infection affecting the brain and a lack of blood cells can be symptoms of genetic diseases among infants. Representative image: IANS

Sherin Nainan’s child is 8 months old. It started as a minor fever. But soon it increased, leading to fits. The doctor said she had a brain abscess. He also said that the number of cells in the blood was also low.

A possibility of a genetic disease affecting the immune system was also suggested. The parents were confused as to what they should do next.

The body needs an immune system to respond to pathogens. Many different types of genes need to work properly to produce many of the components needed for the immune system. Any variation in these genes can affect the immune system.

A baby's genes can vary greatly from birth, but certain factors inherited from the mother can protect babies from a variety of infections for up to six or seven months. Symptoms may appear after that.

An infection affecting the brain and a lack of blood cells can be symptoms of such diseases. Genetic testing can be done to diagnose the disease for which you can seek the help of a Genetic disease specialist.

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