Why do newborn blood samples have to be manually stained and

Why do newborn blood samples have to be manually stained and counted for the WBC count?

HINT: NRBC

Solution

Automated WBC count can be falsely reported due to
i. By the presence of aggregated platelets
ii. By the presence of cryoglobulin
iii. By the presence of nucleated RBC

A mature mammal contains enucleated RBC in the circulation. However, nucleated RBC can be found in newborn infants and fetuses. NRBCs are found in the circulation as a part o the normal developmental programme (progenitors in erythropoitic lineage). they can also be found in certain pathological conditions (Anemia, Thalassemia and Myelofibrosis).

Absolute NRBC = Obtained nucleated cell count – corrected WBC
Corrected WBC count = Obtained nucleated cell count X {100 ÷ (nRBC + 100)}

Hence, a manual detection method is preferred to count WBC.