Pattern and prevalence of neonatal thrombocytopenia in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Background: In Port Harcourt, evidence-based guidelines for platelet transfusion therapy in neonatal patients are yet to be defined and the prevalence and pattern of neonatal thrombocytopenia has not yet been reported. Methods: Platelet counts of 132 neonatal patients admitted into the special care baby unit (SCBU) at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital in Nigeria were assessed using the International Committee on Standards in Hematology (ICSH) approved manual procedures for hemocytometry.6 Study design: This is a cross sectional study carried out on neonates to determine the prevalence and pattern of neonatal thrombocytopenia. Results: The median platelet count of the neonates was 97.0 × 109/L (interquartile range [IQR] 50–152) while the mean age was 61.7 hours (range 1–336 hours). The overall prevalence of neonatal thrombocytopenia was 53.0%. Mild thrombocytopenia (platelet count 51–100 × 109/L) was found in 39.4% of the neonates, 12.1% had moderate thrombocytopenia (platelet count 30–50 × 109/L), while severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count