A young child is diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia and her parents cannot understand why infection a major problem for when wbc count so high that?

The high white blood cell count in acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is not normal. The high WBC count is due to the abnormal proliferation of immature lymphocytes, which are not fully functional and cannot effectively fight infection. In a healthy individual, high WBC count, particularly due to an increase in mature neutrophils, is a normal response to infection and helps to clear the infection.

In ALL, the immature lymphocytes (also known as lymphoblasts) are unable to differentiate into mature infection-fighting cells such as neutrophils and monocytes. As a result, even though the WBC count may be high, the body's ability to respond to and fight infection is compromised. This can make the child more susceptible to infections, including bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.

Therefore, despite having a high WBC count, a child with ALL may still experience recurrent and severe infections because of the impaired function of their immune system due to the abnormal lymphoblasts.