What to do with a low platelet count during pregnancy?

A woman’s body undergoes numerous changes during pregnancy, so monitoring her blood health is crucial for both mother and child. A low platelet count is one issue that could come up. Because platelets are essential for blood clotting, a decrease in their quantity should raise concerns. With the correct attention, this is a common problem for some pregnant women, though.

It’s critical to comprehend the causes of low platelet counts and the potential consequences for pregnancy. Even though there’s usually nothing to worry about, it’s still important to pay attention to and talk about with your healthcare provider. Being aware of the symptoms, possible dangers, and available treatments will help you handle this circumstance with more assurance.

This post will explain what a low platelet count during pregnancy means, why it occurs, and what you can do to maintain your health and the health of your unborn child.

While a low platelet count during pregnancy can be worrisome, it’s usually treatable with appropriate care. Maintaining a healthy diet high in iron and vitamins, adhering to any recommended tests, and keeping in close contact with your doctor are all crucial. Despite the fact that many women with low platelet counts have healthy pregnancies and deliveries, in certain cases medication or monitoring may be required. Always get advice from a healthcare professional on the best course of action for your particular circumstances.

How the level is determined

You can find out how many platelets are in the blood with a general analysis, and the woman doesn’t need to do anything beforehand. Several general clinical blood tests are performed throughout the course of pregnancy. Physicians are able to dynamically track alterations in blood composition. The normal range for men and women who are not pregnant is 180–360*10^9 cells per liter of platelets. Things are a little different during pregnancy. There is a good reason why a pregnant woman’s platelet count drops in comparison to an adult who is not pregnant.

By the middle of her pregnancy, the expectant mother’s blood volume has increased, which has caused a decrease in the concentration of certain cells, especially platelets.

A pregnant woman’s platelet count should typically range from 140 to 340 thousand/μl, with an aggregation of 40 to 60%. Blood platelet counts gradually decline, reaching their lowest point during the third trimester. However, nature was wise and ordered things so that fewer cells are involved in coagulation and more cells can aggregate. Since childbirths are invariably accompanied by some degree of bleeding, this is a sort of prelude to an important event. Platelet norms in the blood of expectant mothers: a summary of average values

A lower than normal number of platelets is referred to as thrombocytopenia. It is invariably linked to either an inadequate production of blood platelets or a reduction in their capacity to clump together and take part in the most significant biochemical reactions taking place within the body.

Reasons for the decrease

There are several causes for the drop in platelet count in blood. Of course, more research will be required to pinpoint the precise cause of such a clinical picture for the physician. The woman is advised to donate blood for biochemistry and infections, such as HIV and hepatitis, in order to address this. A thorough blood clotting test, which measures the quantity and quality of platelets as well as the rate of blood clotting and the presence of sufficient clotting factors such as proteins and enzymes, will be recommended in order to ascertain whether everything is functioning normally with these blood platelets.

• Allergy. With any inadequate reaction of the body to an allergen, the composition of the blood changes. The number of platelets may be reduced.
• Autoimmune processes. Quite often, the reason lies in the fact that the woman"s body produces special antibodies that destroy platelets. A decrease in this case is inevitable.
• Poor nutrition and lack of vitamins. Unbalanced, poor or unhealthy nutrition affects the composition of the blood, while quantitative formulas can fluctuate significantly in one direction or another. Most often, low platelets during pregnancy are observed with a deficiency of vitamin B 12 and folic acid.
• HIV infection. In a state of immunodeficiency, the number of platelets decreases sharply. Even if the first HIV test was negative (and it is done for all pregnant women when registering), there is no guarantee that the second test will also be negative. The incubation period of the disease is long, and infection could have occurred after registration.

• Problems with the thyroid gland. If this gland produces insufficient or excessive amounts of hormones, this also cannot but affect the composition of the blood.
• Blood diseases. Some diseases, such as leukemia, are accompanied by a significant decrease in the number of blood platelets-thrombocytes. A woman will need a consultation with a hematologist and additional examination so that this cause is confirmed or refuted.
• Oncology. Recently, the number of pregnant women who are diagnosed with malignant tumors for the first time already in the process of bearing a child has increased. With any oncological process, the number of platelets decreases. A more obvious and rapid decrease is observed in malignant processes affecting the bone marrow.

• Exacerbation of chronic diseases and acute ailments. Infectious diseases, as well as existing pathologies of internal organs during pregnancy are also undesirable because they affect the composition of the mother"s blood, leading to thrombocytopenia, anisocytosis (proliferation) of platelets.
• Medicines. Taking certain drugs, such as antihistamines, antibiotics, painkillers, can cause a decrease in the concentration of platelets in the blood of the expectant mother.

Symptoms

Blood becomes more "liquid" when the number of platelets drops. This is the term used to describe thrombocytopenia. It is challenging to ignore the distinctive symptoms and indicators of this illness. Therefore, a woman who is low in platelets will naturally get bruises all over her body. This doesn’t always require force; sometimes, just a gentle tap on the expectant mother’s hand will cause a noticeable, deep bruise to appear within a few hours.

Blood clotting disorders can present as complications from wounds and burns in addition to spontaneous hematomas.

Even a small cut may bleed for a considerable amount of time, and stopping the bleeding can be challenging.

A woman with bleeding gums is said to have "dropped" platelets. It becomes particularly apparent when she brushes her teeth. The expectant mother might get nosebleeds frequently.

During pregnancy, blood-pink discharge from the genitalia is a common sign of thrombocytopenia. When progesterone and other pregnancy hormones are present, mucous membranes, including those in the vagina, loosen. The membranes are rendered even more susceptible by a reduction in platelets and compromised blood clotting.

Danger

Most of the time, a woman does not view even a severe platelet deficiency as a serious illness requiring emergency medical attention. The primary risk of thrombocytopenia is that her overall health is not concerning. A naive expectant mother may experience severe internal bleeding at any time, and any cuts or injuries pose a serious risk to her life because of the possibility of excessive blood loss.

The most risky is giving birth. It is inevitable that blood will be lost during childbirth; this blood is lost mostly at the time the placenta is born.

The surface of the uterine wall, from which the "baby’s place" departs, thromboses very rapidly in a woman with normal coagulation. Massive bleeding could occur if there are insufficient blood platelets, which would be extremely challenging to control even for a highly skilled medical team.

The mother’s "liquid" blood does not specifically harm the unborn child during pregnancy. It has no effect on its development, normal growth, or the flow of blood throughout the "mother-placenta-fetus" system. But even a small placental abruption has the potential to endanger the mother’s life as well as the baby’s. A woman with thrombocytopenia also runs the risk of experiencing potentially fatal dangerous hemorrhages in the brain or lungs, along with all the associated risks.

Although managing a low platelet count during pregnancy can seem overwhelming, it is important to understand the condition and heed your doctor’s advice. It’s important to keep yourself and your child healthy by getting regular blood tests to check your platelet counts.

Most of the time, small drops in platelet count can be controlled with minor lifestyle changes like eating a well-balanced diet and drinking plenty of water. To keep your condition under control, adhere to your doctor’s recommended course of action if one is given.

Above all, keep lines of communication open with your healthcare provider at all times. They can help you overcome this obstacle and make sure that both you and your unborn child have a safe pregnancy.

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