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Updated: May 31, 2026
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Published on: September 10, 2018
The effects of magnesium sulfate on maternal and fetal platelet aggregation
Eleanor Rhee1, Timothy Beiswenger, Chinazor E Oguejiofor
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
Objective:
To evaluate platelet function in mothers and fetuses/neonates exposed to magnesium sulfate intrapartum.
Methods:
This was a prospective cohort study of mothers and fetuses/neonates exposed to magnesium sulfate intrapartum compared to mothers and fetuses/neonates not exposed. Platelet aggregometry was performed in duplicate on specimens from subjects using two different agonists, ADP and collagen, on a whole blood impedance aggregometer.
Results:
Specimens were processed from 11 mothers and 10 fetuses/neonates exposed to magnesium and 12 mothers and fetuses/neonates, not exposed. There was no difference in platelet aggregation between the specimens from the mothers who were exposed and mothers not exposed. In the specimens from the fetuses/neonates, there was no difference using collagen as an agonist, but using ADP as an agonist, there was a remarkable difference - 0.0 ohms in the exposed group vs. 3.0 ohms in the unexposed group (p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
In-utero magnesium sulfate exposure significantly suppresses fetal platelet function.
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