Prevalence of Thrombocytopenia among apparently healthy newborns in Delta State, Nigeria

Objective: Against the background of no available report on the prevalence of thrombocytopenia among newborns in Delta State, Nigeria, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of thrombocytopenia among apparently healthy newborns. Methods: Cord blood was collected from 374 apparently healthy newborns immediately after delivery. Platelet count was estimated using a haematology auto-analyser. Results. The prevalence of thrombocytopenia among the newborns was significantly (p=0.0170) higher among newborns in Warri (13.2%) compared to those in Asaba (5.4%). Similarly, caesarean delivery was significantly associated with thrombocytopenia in the newborns (OR=5.646, 95%CI=2.702, 11.796; p0.05). Conclusion: An overall prevalence of 9.4% of thrombocytopenia was observed among apparently healthy newborns. Routine screening of newborns for thrombocytopenia is advocated.