Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 15, 2026
Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
Mean platelet volume in very preterm infants: a predictor of morbidities?
F Cekmez1, I A Tanju, F E Canpolat
1Neonatology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Gülhane Military Academy of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. ferhat_cocuk@hotmail.com
Insights
High mean platelet volume (MPV) at birth is linked to increased risks of necrotizing enterocolitis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and intraventricular hemorrhage in preterm infants. MPV did not correlate with sepsis or retinopathy of prematurity.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal Medicine
- Hematology
- Perinatal Research
Background:
- Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a key indicator of platelet reactivity and predictor of various diseases.
- Elevated MPV is associated with respiratory distress syndrome in neonates, but its role in other preterm infant morbidities is unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between MPV and common morbidities in very preterm infants.
- To determine if MPV levels correlate with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), sepsis, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH).
Main Methods:
- A cohort of very preterm infants (gestational age < 34 weeks, birth weight < 1500 g) was studied.
- Infants were grouped based on the presence or absence of NEC, sepsis, ROP, BPD, and IVH.
- MPV was measured from cord blood at birth and again at 48-72 hours of life.
Main Results:
- MPV levels at birth were significantly higher in infants who developed BPD, IVH, and NEC compared to controls.
- No significant difference in MPV was observed between infants with and without sepsis or ROP.
- MPV values at 48-72 hours were not detailed in the provided abstract.
Conclusions:
- Elevated MPV in the early hours of life may indicate a risk factor for developing NEC, BPD, and IVH in extremely preterm infants.
- The association of high MPV with these conditions might be linked to underlying inflammatory and oxidative processes.
- Higher MPV values were not found to be associated with the development of sepsis or ROP in this cohort.
Background:
Mean platelet volume [MPV] is an important predictor for many diseases and larger platelets are more reactive and associated with shortened bleeding time. Although elevated MPV values are related to respiratory distress syndrome [RDS] in neonates, there are, to our knowledge, no data investigating the relationship between MPV and other diseases of preterm infants.
Aim:
To assess the correlation between MPV and the occurrence of various morbidities of prematurity such as necrotizing enterocolitis [NEC], bronchopulmonary dysplasia [BPD], sepsis, retinopathy of prematurity [ROP], and intraventricular hemorrhage [IVH] in a cohort of very preterm infants.
Subjects:
We studied infants with a gestational age of < 34 weeks and a birth weight of < 1500 g admitted to a third level Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Enrolled infants were divided into NEC and non-NEC, sepsis and non-sepsis, ROP and non-ROP, BPD and non-BPD and IVH and non-IVH groups. MPV was evaluated at birth [cord blood] and repeated at 48-72 hours of life.
Results:
Two hundred and seventy two infants were studied. MPV measured at birth was similar between sepsis and non-sepsis, and ROP and non-ROP groups. MPV values were higher in infants with BPD [9.08±1.3 fl], IVH [8.4±1.1fl] and NEC [8.6±0.7 f] when compared to the control group [7.6±0.6 fl] in the first day of life.
Conclusions:
High MPV in the first hours of life may reflect the presence of a risk factor for the development of NEC, BPD and IVH in extremely preterm infants. This might be associated with inflammatory and oxidative process. However, our data indicate that higher MPV values are not associated with the development of sepsis or ROP in this study population.
