Thrombocytopenia in pregnancy
Description
Thrombocytopenia is known as having a platelet count of less than 150,000/µL of blood. It is common during normal pregnancy, complicates 10% of pregnancies, and is regarded as the second most common blood disorder after anemia. In 80% of the cases, it happens only during pregnancy and resolves spontaneously within the first two months after delivery.
Symptoms
Mild cases are usually asymptomatic, but symptoms may occur in more severe cases.
- Nose bleeding
- Bleeding gums
- Abnormal uterine bleeding
- Bloody urine
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
Visit your Gynaecologist if you have any of these symptoms, he may refer you to a Hematologist If needed
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View MoreCauses
There are many reasons which may be related to pregnancy or not.
- Physiological changes during pregnancy
- Preeclampsia
- Acute fatty liver of pregnancy
- Immunological disease
- Some medications
- Systemic lupus erythematosus disease
- Viral infections
- Bone marrow disorders
- Liver disease
Diagnostics
A complete blood count examination is the main tool for thrombocytopenia diagnosis. The cause can be known through other laboratory tests such as:
- Coagulation tests
- Thyroid gland functions
- Hepatitis B, and C screening
- Liver function tests
- H. Pylori test
- Antibodies tests
Treatment
If there is no bleeding and the platelets count is more than 30,000/µL, there is no need to start medications until delivery.
If treatment is needed to be started during pregnancy, and the thrombocytopenia is caused by reasons not related to pregnancy, some medications can be used such as Prednisone, Prednisolone, and Immunoglobulin.
