Platelet count in healthy full-term Nigerian neonates

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Pediatrics
• Neonatal Medicine

Background:

• Platelet count is a critical hematological parameter in neonates.
• Establishing accurate reference ranges is essential for diagnosing neonatal thrombocytopenia and other platelet disorders.
• Limited data exists on neonatal platelet counts specifically within the Nigerian population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine reference ranges for platelet counts in healthy, full-term Nigerian neonates.
• To compare platelet counts during the first week of life with those in subsequent neonatal weeks.
• To assess the similarity of Nigerian neonatal platelet counts to international standards and Nigerian adult values.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 338 full-term healthy Nigerian neonates aged 1 hour to 28 days.
• Platelet counts were analyzed using automated hematology analyzers.
• Statistical analysis, including t-tests and calculation of 95% confidence intervals, was performed.

Main Results:

• A total of 633 platelet counts were analyzed.
• Platelet counts in the first week (207,000 +/- 72,000/cumm) were significantly lower than in the subsequent three weeks (282,000 +/- 94,000/cumm) (P < .001).
• Proposed reference ranges: 100,000-400,000/cumm for the first week and 100,000-450,000/cumm for the remainder of the neonatal period (encompassing 95% of infants).

Conclusions:

• The study establishes specific reference ranges for platelet counts in healthy Nigerian neonates.
• Neonatal platelet counts in Nigeria are comparable to international values but higher than in Nigerian adults.
• These findings provide valuable data for the clinical management of neonates in Nigeria and similar populations.