Fetomaternal outcome in pregnancy with thrombocytopenia: A prospective study from one of the teaching health-care institutes of Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Abstract

Background: During pregnancy, hemodilution of plasma volume leads to reduction in platelets count by approximately 6–7% during 3rd trimester. Pregnant women with thrombocytopenia have higher risk of bleeding excessively during pregnancy, labor, and puerperium. The present study focuses on fetomaternal outcome among pregnant women having thrombocytopenia. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to study the incidence of thrombocytopenia in pregnancy, to identify various factors responsible for thrombocytopenia in pregnancy, and to evaluate fetomaternal outcome in patients with thrombocytopenia in pregnancy. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at tertiary care center of Ahmedabad. A total of 96 cases of thrombocytopenia in pregnancy were included in the study. Fetomaternal outcome was assessed among the study participants. Results: The incidence of thrombocytopenia in the present study was 0.77%. Obstetric causes (53.12%) accounted for most common cause of thrombocytopenia, followed by gestational thrombocytopenia (27.08%), dengue (10.41%), malaria (4.16%), and immune thrombocytopenia (4.16%). Postpartum hemorrhage (15.62%), eclampsia (14.58%), disseminated intravascular coagulation (11.45%), and abruption (8.33%) were the most common maternal complications. The most common neonatal complication was prematurity (67.7%) followed by intrauterine growth retardation (23.95%) and birth asphyxia (9.3%). Conclusion: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy including severe preeclampsia, eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome are found to be the most common cause of thrombocytopenia followed by gestational thrombocytopenia and infectious causes. The present study widened the spectrum of the causes for thrombocytopenia in pregnant women. Gestational thrombocytopenia is associated with mild-to-moderate thrombocytopenia and hardly having any complications.