Neonatal allo-immune thrombocytopenia. A case report and review of obstetric management
Guidozzi, F.; Breeds, A.D.; Cohn, R.J.
South African Medical Journal 78(11): 686-687
1990
ISSN/ISBN: 0256-9574 PMID: 2251617 Document Number: 351837
The prime object in the obstetric management of mothers who have previously delivered an infant with neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia is to prevent the occurrence of intracranial haemorrhage, which may occur in subsequent pregnancies in 15-20% of infants with this disease. Elective caesarean section at 38 weeks' gestation may obviate the problem, since it prevents trauma during vaginal delivery but it will not eliminate neurological sequelae in those infants who have already suffered antenatal intracranial bleeding, an entity now well described in these fetuses. A review is presented in which all possible antenatal and post-natal modalities of treatment in the management of these cases are highlighted.