Neonatal Thrombocytopenia in Preeclamptic Women with Low Platelet Counts

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the relationship between maternal thrombocytopenia in severe preeclampsia and neonatal platelet counts.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Obstetric and neonatal units, King Edward VIII Hospital (KEH), Durban, South Africa.

Subjects: Forty-five mothers with severe preeclampsia/hypertensive crises of pregnancy with platelet counts of <150 × 10⁹/L.

Results: Ten of 48 neonates (22.2%) had evidence of thrombocytopenia on umbilical cord blood. Cord blood platelet counts ranged from 38 to 145 × 10⁹/L. In 8 cases, the neonatal platelet counts recovered within 4 h to <150 × 10⁹/L. Four neonates had evidence of a disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Conclusion: This study confirms the association of neonatal thrombocytopenia to maternal thrombocytopenia in preeclamptic women. There is no correlation between maternal and neonatal platelet counts, but neonatal thrombocytopenia is generally mild to moderate and transient; and in the absence of coagulation abnormalities, morbidity is not apparent.

Key Words:

• Relationship between maternal thrombocytopenia and neonatal platelet counts