[Idiopathic thrombopenic purpura and pregnancy].

The association of IPT (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura) and pregnancy happens rarely, but when it does it gives rise to two problems, the maternal and the neonatal. On the maternal level the risk is haemorrhage. Furthermore, the role of splenectomy in pregnancy still needs to be discussed; whereas all authors agree that treatment with corticoids and perhaps even with platelet transfusion may be necessary. As far as the newborn are concerned, it is common to find a low level of platelets which means that the newborn has particular risks of blood vessel rupture and intra-cranial haemorrhage (our observation). The attitude that the authors propose as far as the obstetric management of these cases is concerned is to carry out routine Caesarean section at term before labour starts. They analyse the other methods of dealing with these cases from the point of view of the maternal platelets and also from the fetal platelets estimated from scalp blood during labour.