Hello Melissa,
The
anemia is very mild. (A normal
hemoglobin would be around 13-14 and your son's is 11.9). The MCV is a little low. This is common in iron deficiency (probably the most common cause of
anemia). Normally with iron deficiency the RDW is also elevated.
To complicate things further, following a severe or prolonged illness the bone marrow can be suppressed some causing an
anemia (called
anemia of chronic inflammation or chronic illness).
In your son's case, I suspect that the later may be a significant cause of the
anemia; however, given the low MCV it is possible that he may also be slightly iron deficient. If one wanted to prove this, specific iron studies could be done. Alternatively, he could simply take a multivitamin with iron.
The issue of thalassemia can also cause a low MCV, although with thalassemia I would expect a low RDW and his is on the upper normal side.
So, to try to summarize all this, I would recommend simply rechecking this in 4-8 weeks to see if it has resolved. This will allow time for the bone marrow to recover from the illness. During this time it is also reasonable to have him take a multivitamin with iron to help build up his iron stores. I suspect most of this is the illness.
Best wishes.
Advice and opinions given are based on the information provided and must not be used as an official medical recommendation. The limitations of the internet prevent an appropriate evaluation. Always consult your doctor if there is concern.
