Maternal Early-onset Preeclampsia Places Preterm Infants at Risk of Thrombocytopenia Requiring Platelet Transfusions.

OBJECTIVES

Evaluate the hematological parameters and indices in the blood count collected on the first day of life (D1) in very premature infants born to mothers with early-onset preeclampsia (PE) and their correlation with increased neonatal morbimortality.

BACKGROUND

Changes in hematologic parameters in the blood counts collected after birth associated with PE have been demonstrated by recent studies, although inconsistently.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Retrospective study between 2008 and 2023, at a level III neonatal intensive care unit, including preterm infants with a gestational age below 30 weeks. A blood count was collected on D1 and a comparison of hematological parameters and indices was made between infants exposed or not to PE.

RESULTS

We included 206 newborns (PE = 39; no PE = 167). The multivariate analyses showed no significant hematological changes. PE-exposed infants required significantly more platelet transfusions (PE: n = 20 [51.8%]; no PE: n = 34 [20.36%]; P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

PE-exposed preterms required more platelet transfusions, which increases the risk of associated complications.