The number of cases of fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) in Ethiopia is relatively high and FNAIT cases are often associated with other conditions like preeclampsia, neonatal sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis, according to a recently published study in Scientific Reports.
The authors aimed to determine the frequency and causes of low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia) among newborns in Ethiopia. To achieve this, they gathered data from several health centers in Ethiopia, identifying over 400 mother-newborn pairs with thrombocytopenia.
The results showed that 12% of pregnancies were complicated by preeclampsia, a condition in which high maternal blood pressure causes organ damage, particularly to the kidneys and brain, and can have severe complications for both mother and infant. Additionally, 13% of pregnancies involved premature membrane rupture, a condition in which the amniotic sac, which holds the baby during pregnancy, breaks before labor starts.
Learn more about FNAIT causes and risk factors
Statistical analysis revealed that preeclampsia and premature membrane rupture were associated with a threefold increase in the risk of neonatal thrombocytopenia.
The most common newborn complication among the included patients was severe infection, also known as sepsis; approximately 36% of the newborns in the study had sepsis as an associated factor for thrombocytopenia. Furthermore, 20% of newborns had meconium aspiration, a birth complication in which the baby inhales a mixture of the first stool and amniotic fluid.
The authors observed that over 25% of newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit during the study period had thrombocytopenia, making it a very common characteristic among critically ill neonatal patients.
Delivery complications such as perinatal asphyxia and necrotizing enterocolitis were associated with a 3.7- and 4.2-fold increase, respectively, in the risk of thrombocytopenia.
The researchers remarked that their results are consistent with similar studies conducted in Egypt, India, and Pakistan.
“To minimize the burden of neonatal thrombocytopenia, particular attention should be given to neonates diagnosed with sepsis, perinatal asphyxia (PNA), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and to mothers who experienced prolonged rupture of membranes (ROM) or severe preeclampsia (SPE). Future researchers would benefit from conducting longitudinal studies to better identify temporal relationships and strengthen causal inferences,” the authors concluded.
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