Fetal-maternal complications and their association with gestational thrombocytopenia

Thrombocytopenia is defined as a platelet count of < 150 × 10⁹/L. It is a common hematologic abnormality during pregnancy. Evaluation and treatment of gestational thrombocytopenia can be both, expensive and invasive, and may result in an adverse outcome. The aim of our study was to investigate the incidence of perinatal complications in pregnancies complicated with gestational thrombocytopenia and to determine if the severity of maternal gestational thrombocytopenia implicates unfavorable perinatal outcome.

Over a period of three years, we identified 50 patients with gestational thrombocytopenia: 38 with platelet count between 50-100 × 10⁹/L - classified as moderate thrombocytopenia, and 12 with platelet count of < 50 × 10⁹/L - classified as severe thrombocytopenia. Fifty women with normal platelet count constituted the control group. Maternal complications and neonatal outcomes were compared.

Neonatal thrombocytopenia occurred more often in pregnancies complicated with gestational thrombocytopenia (p = 0.041). Thrombocytopenia in previous pregnancy seems to be an important predicting factor for disease severity in the current pregnancy (p = 0.01).

Gestational thrombocytopenia, even if severe, is not associated with adverse maternal or neonatal outcome. Moderate neonatal thrombocytopenia is more common in pregnancies complicated with severe gestational thrombocytopenia. The incidence of severe gestational thrombocytopenia is higher in patients with thrombocytopenia in previous pregnancy.