Platelets during pregnancy: norms, causes of deviations and treatment

Treatment

The first thing you should do if you detect low platelets is to consult your doctor and undergo additional examinations. The tactics and treatment regimen depend on the true cause of the phenomenon. prednisolone
is used for thrombocytopenia , but this steroid hormone has many side effects, and during pregnancy, treatment differs markedly from standard therapy.

If the reason why platelets are reduced lies in an infectious disease, it should be treated. If we are talking about ARVI or influenza virus, then the blood composition will normalize after the woman finally recovers, without therapy at all.

Treatment will not be needed if the number of blood platelets has decreased due to medications taken by the expectant mother. Simply stop taking these medications and your blood composition will return to normal.

If the state of platelet deficiency is associated with disorders of the thyroid gland or kidneys, then the woman is referred for consultation to a nephrologist or endocrinologist. Together with the gynecologist, these specialists will have to plan a treatment regimen for the underlying disease.

Special medications that have the ability to increase blood clotting are rarely prescribed, since in principle they are not intended for use during pregnancy. If the decrease in blood platelets is critical, then the woman is hospitalized and coagulants are administered to her in the hospital under the supervision of a doctor. This is especially true when there are only a few days left before giving birth.

Both at home and in the hospital, women are advised to take vitamin complexes.

She should also be more careful about her diet. Products that increase blood clotting are bananas, apples, chicken and quail eggs, meat and fish, and fresh herbs.

with autoimmune thrombocytopenia face the most difficult treatment

. They are prescribed hormonal drugs (glucocorticosteroids) in a hospital setting. In some cases, if the pregnant woman’s condition is threatening, donor blood transfusions may be performed. This helps, at least temporarily, to increase the number of blood platelets and increase the body’s defenses.

When treating with hormones, they most often start with Dexamethasone, gradually moving from therapeutic doses to prophylactic ones until the platelet count is normalized or approaches the existing norm.

If hormonal therapy cannot raise the number of blood platelets, injections of human immunoglobulin are prescribed. The expectant mother will receive several injections during her pregnancy, with only 1 injection in each course.

In the most severe cases, when proper nutrition and hormones are powerless, a woman can, for health reasons, undergo laparoscopic surgery to remove the spleen, because it is in this organ that most of the platelets die. The puncture is small; the splenectomy itself is performed under general anesthesia.

To learn how to increase platelets at home, watch the following video.

Carrying a child is a difficult time in a woman’s life, which, unfortunately, can be accompanied by unpleasant symptoms. These include nausea, anemia and low platelets during pregnancy.

Treatment methods

Therapy for thrombocytopenia in pregnant women is of a special nature, since treatment, in addition to normalizing platelet levels, should also not harm the baby growing inside. According to statistics, there are few cases of this disease with serious consequences. Treatment is prescribed after laboratory confirmation of the diagnosis.

If platelets are slightly reduced during pregnancy, then no special therapy is required. If the platelet level parameters are at critical levels, then treatment is carried out in a hospital setting. A pregnant woman needs bed rest until the blood is restored to normal levels. If the pathology develops in a fairly severe form, then special therapy is required.

Medicines

The basis of drug treatment for thrombocytopenia is made up of drugs from the group of glucocorticosteroids such as Dexamethasone or Prednisolone, etc. These drugs are prescribed in short courses, systemically, with a gradual reduction in dosage until positive results are achieved.
To minimize the risk of negative effects of drugs on the fetus, the doctor selects the dosage and duration of the treatment course individually. If there is no proper therapeutic effect after using glucocorticosteroids, intravenous injections of immunoglobulins are prescribed. They are prescribed according to the following scheme: 3-4 doses during the gestation period, during delivery and after it. In particularly complex clinical cases of thrombocytopenia, intravenous infusion of platelets is prescribed. If there is no required therapeutic result in the third trimester, the pregnant woman is prescribed a splenectomy, during which the spleen is removed. Taking into account the special situation of the pregnant woman, surgical intervention through laparoscopic access is recommended. The method of delivery is selected individually, although a planned cesarean section is considered the least traumatic for the child.

Diet features

If the decrease in platelet concentration in pregnant women is insignificant, then this deviation does not require special treatment; it is enough for the woman to follow some nutritional recommendations. To normalize the level of platelet cells, mommy is recommended:

It is useful to drink rosehip tea with the addition of wild berries, birch and cherry sap, infusion of nettle or yarrow.

Thrombocytopenia during pregnancy

Before pregnancy, women may experience a physiological decrease in platelets due to menstrual blood loss. During pregnancy, platelet levels may decrease as a result of an increase in the total volume of circulating blood, which is associated with the occurrence of uteroplacental blood flow. There is an increased need for platelets, and the process of formation of new blood platelets does not keep pace with the process of their consumption. A pathological decrease in the number of platelets in pregnant women is considered to be less than 140 x 109/l. Then they talk about the development of thrombocytopenia, the causes of which may be:

decreased lifespan of platelets due to changes in the hormonal system;
severe toxicosis;
allergic reaction;
infection (especially of viral origin);
malnutrition;
taking certain medications (for example, diuretics, antibacterials, etc.);
gynecological bleeding, for example, with placental abruption (platelets do not have time to form);
pathological changes in the blood coagulation system;
severe kidney pathology;
intoxication;
thyrotoxicosis (hyperfunction of the thyroid gland);
lack of folates in the body (they are salts of folic acid, which play an important role in hematopoiesis);
autoimmune thrombocytopenia (when your own immune system perceives blood platelets as a foreign object and destroys them).

You can suspect too low platelet levels in a pregnant woman based on the following signs:

bleeding gums (not associated with gingivitis during pregnancy);
the appearance of bruises for no reason or after microtraumas (when minor damage causes extensive bruising);
frequent nosebleeds;
bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract (including from hemorrhoids);
the appearance of pinpoint specific rashes on the skin (more often the rash is present on the limbs and the front surface of the body);
Increased bleeding time from small cuts or after tooth extraction.

To confirm the diagnosis it is necessary:

take a general blood test;
do a blood clotting test (coagulogram);
undergo additional studies in order to exclude diseases that may cause thrombocytopenia;
visit a hematologist.

A low level of platelets during pregnancy is dangerous not only because of the risk of bleeding during labor, but also because it can cause bleeding of internal organs and even bleeding in the brain.

In addition, with autoimmune thrombocytopenia, maternal antibodies can pass through the placental bloodstream to the fetus. In this case, there is a high probability of developing thrombocytopenia in newborns.

Treatment of thrombocytopenia

Treatment of thrombocytopenia should begin with eliminating the cause that caused it. If severe subcutaneous hemorrhages or bleeding from the mucous membranes are observed, thrombocytopenia is treated as an independent disease. If the platelet level decreases to 20 x 109/l, hospital treatment is required.

To increase platelets in pregnant women, use:

Corticosteroid drugs (Prednisolone, Dexamethasone). They contribute to a rapid increase (in 5-7 days) in the number of platelets in the blood of a pregnant woman and reduce the risk of bleeding. In addition, glucocorticoids contribute to the accelerated process of maturation of the baby's lungs. Therefore, if there are medical indications, early delivery of a woman with thrombocytopenia is possible. These drugs are prescribed for 5-10 days, followed by gradual withdrawal (3-4 days before). If thrombocytopenia relapses, the course can be repeated.
If glucorticoids are insufficiently effective or if it is impossible to use them, intravenous injections of immunoglobulin are prescribed. This is a much more expensive treatment, but immunoglobulin increases platelet levels faster. During the entire period of pregnancy, 3-4 courses of injections can be performed. The drug is also administered during childbirth and immediately after it.
Transfusion of donor platelet mass is extremely rare.
For bleeding from the mucous membranes of the mouth, rinsing with aminocaproic acid is prescribed.
If no treatment method brings an effective result, then splenectomy (removal of the spleen) is performed in the 2nd trimester. Doctors take this extreme measure because the spleen is the organ in which platelets are destroyed. To avoid the risk of fetal damage, laparoscopic access to the spleen is chosen. Most often, such surgery is indicated for autoimmune thrombocytopenia.
The issue of delivery of a woman with poorly controlled low platelet levels is decided by a council of doctors. The decision depends on the individual course of this pathological condition.

Platelet functions, norm, abnormalities and causes

Normally, the platelet level in women is 180-320 thousand U/μl. Everyone knows that pregnancy changes a lot in a woman’s body, reduces immunity, and rearranges hormonal levels. Some life processes slow down, while others speed up.

The exact and only reason for the decrease in platelet levels has not been established. There are only assumptions. According to one version, old platelets are destroyed during pregnancy, and new ones are synthesized slowly and do not cope with their functions. The second explanation is based on the fact that blood plasma is produced in excess - and there are fewer such components. Lupus is another cause of blood pathology.

Doctors diagnosed factors that additionally influence the decrease in platelet counts: viral infections, allergies, folate deficiency, late pregnancy, poor nutrition.

Decreased levels of such substances may be the result of taking blood thinners, for example, for varicose veins. If patients do not comply with the dosage of such medications indicated in the instructions, then a decrease in platelet levels cannot be avoided. Therefore, before using drugs, you must carefully study the instructions for them.

Thrombocytopenia is a persistent decrease in the level of platelets in the blood. If a pregnant woman is diagnosed with this, she must also undergo a urine test. It will also show and confirm the dynamics of the decrease in the level of such blood components. Their deficiency can manifest itself as a diapedetic rash, that is, minor bleeding. They can be nasal, gastrointestinal, hemorrhoidal. Bleeding from the uterine cavity is also possible.

It is worth knowing that thrombocytopenia during pregnancy is dangerous due to the high probability of hemorrhages. They occur in the intracranial cavity and organs. There is also a risk of developing thrombocytopenia in the unborn child. That is why expectant mothers need to take blood tests responsibly.

Norms during pregnancy

There is no separate test for blood platelets. A general blood test is usually prescribed.

The normal value for a healthy person is 180-420*109 platelets per liter;

During pregnancy, the platelet count decreases. This is explained by the fact that the amount of blood increases and a placental circulation appears.

During pregnancy, the normal platelet count in the blood is 140-340*109/l. Deviations from the norm in the direction of decrease are called thrombocytopenia, and in the direction of increase - thrombocytosis;
The indicator depends on the trimester of pregnancy. In the first months, the permissible limits are 170-340*109/l.;
The norm of platelets during pregnancy in the 2nd trimester is from 160 to 330*109/l.;
At later stages – 140-320*109/l.

Blood platelet levels return to normal after childbirth, when the body recovers.

Methods to increase platelet levels during pregnancy

A decoction of Astragalus fluffy flower will help increase platelets. It is not recommended for a woman to take the product on its own, only after a prescription from a gynecologist. It is he who determines the dosage, depending on how low the platelet level is.
Ascorbic acid significantly increases the number of platelets. A pregnant woman should constantly monitor her diet. Include as many foods with vitamin C as possible. You are allowed to eat oranges, tangerines, lemon, and raspberries in small quantities. A lot of vitamin C is found in spinach and parsley.
Products with zinc are required in a pregnant woman’s diet. Due to the lack of this element, a child is born with various serious pathologies and congenital deformities. Introduce fish, meat, and beets into your diet.
Folic acid and vitamin B12 are important substances for a pregnant woman. Take this into account! The body itself accumulates insufficient amounts of these substances, so it is necessary to specifically take biological supplements and vitamin complexes. Be sure to include cheese, eggs, lamb, liver, legumes, and kiwi in your diet.

Quite often, a blood test shows abnormalities because the pregnant woman has liver problems. A woman makes her situation worse when:

Abuses salt.
Drinks a lot of coffee and strong tea.
Is overweight
Suffers from various viral and infectious diseases.
A woman is influenced by external negative factors.

In this situation, the pregnant woman is prescribed special medications to restore liver function.

A pregnant woman with a low platelet level should be extremely careful about different types of physical activity, and lifting heavy things is also prohibited. These factors often cause severe bleeding. During pregnancy, you need to carefully monitor your health and take care.

Thus, a blood test is quite informative for a doctor. With its help, you can promptly find out about serious disorders in a woman’s body and take all necessary measures

Any changes in platelet levels are dangerous, no matter whether they increase or decrease. Also, don’t panic right away, because a pregnant woman may still experience minor changes.

For a complete picture, if platelets deviate from the norm, it is necessary to undergo additional examination in order to take timely measures.

Elevated platelet count

Along with a reduced level of platelets, pregnant women often experience a reverse pathology called thrombocytosis, when more than 400 thousand platelets per microliter are recorded in the blood. Elevated platelets during pregnancy are often diagnosed with dehydration, severe toxicosis, impaired drinking habits, and poor nutrition. The condition is characterized by the formation of blood clots within the choroid plexuses.

Among the causes of thrombocytosis are:

genetic failures;
autoimmune diseases;
phlebeurysm;
haemorrhoids;
severe allergic reactions;
blood diseases;
oncological diseases;
latent and chronic infections;
taking medications that increase blood clotting.

Thrombocytosis is especially dangerous in the third trimester of pregnancy, when the fetus is growing rapidly and the need for nutrients increases. Due to increased blood viscosity, blood clots may form in the vessels of the umbilical cord, which can lead to severe forms of oxygen and food starvation in the unborn baby. There is a high risk of premature birth and the appearance of a child with various congenital pathologies.

Conditions where platelets are physiologically elevated during pregnancy are quite rare, so treatment with diet alone is impossible. With proven thrombocytosis, the doctor prescribes medications that thin the blood, as well as drugs aimed at curing the underlying disease that caused the development of the disease. Therapy has an integrated approach and is characterized by a long duration. To achieve a positive effect, constant monitoring and prevention are required.

A normal platelet level is a necessary condition for comfortable pregnancy and easy childbirth. If platelets are low during pregnancy or a significant increase is recorded, emergency drug therapy and a special diet are required. This will help get rid of unwanted consequences and maintain the health of mother and child.

Every girl needs to know what her platelet count is during pregnancy. Their number should be approximately 150-400 thousand/µl. The level of blood cells may change during pregnancy, but this indicator does not depend on the trimester.

Vitamin C Blood test flaxseed oil Prevention Grapefruit for the intestines during pregnancy special nutrition vitamins

Specialists are required to refer women for a blood test. It is one of the must-haves for expectant mothers. An unpleasant pathology can provoke miscarriage due to antiphospholipid syndrome. That is why the disease requires surgical treatment, and during pregnancy you need to know how to reduce platelets in the blood.

But too low a cell level often causes serious bleeding. During spontaneous labor, the baby may experience internal bleeding. Moreover, there is another danger: the child will die due to a cerebral hemorrhage.

Preventive measures

To avoid platelet deficiency during pregnancy, it is necessary to exclude possible precipitating factors for the deviation in advance. To do this, a pregnant woman needs to be vaccinated or avoid contact with patients with rubella and measles, ARVI and influenza, chickenpox, etc. Viral pathogens that release toxic substances that inhibit bone marrow activity are especially dangerous for mothers.

It is also necessary to avoid radiation and possible exposure to chemical toxins. If there are cases of thrombocytopenia in the family history, then genetic and hematological consultation is required in the early stages of pregnancy. Thrombocytopenia can be cured, the main thing is to follow the doctor’s instructions.

The number of platelets in the blood of the expectant mother is of great importance for pregnancy and childbirth. These blood cells are involved in blood clotting, preventing large blood losses, and also help wounds heal faster. An insufficient number of such blood platelets can be dangerous for mother and child. In this material we will tell you what to do if a blood test shows low platelets.

Possible consequences

An increase in platelet count can cause such complications

risk of miscarriage;
intrauterine growth retardation;
severe toxicosis;
phlebeurysm;
thrombosis of the extremities;
risk of heart attack and embolism
(in case of blockage of blood vessels or rupture of a blood clot).

Thrombosis is a very dangerous condition. And if it occurs, the pregnancy is urgently terminated for health reasons

Therefore, it is important to undergo tests in a timely manner in order to diagnose the problem in time and begin treatment.

The last time platelet levels are checked is just before delivery to decide on the method of delivery.

Forecasts

In general, prognostic data for thrombocytopenia in pregnant women are favorable, since the deviation is quite rare and mainly in simple forms. Most often, such changes in the blood are of hormonal origin, since with the onset of conception, the female hormonal background undergoes global changes. Minor decreases in platelets are not dangerous, but immune thrombocytopenia requires urgent treatment, since it seriously threatens the child. Antibodies from the mother enter the fetal bloodstream and kill its platelets. If fetal thrombocytopenia is confirmed, then any obstetric measures and operations during childbirth are prohibited, since the child may experience intracranial hemorrhage.

With moderate thrombocytopenia, childbirth is conservative. In cases where treatment is unsuccessful, or the condition of the patient and fetus has noticeably worsened, early delivery by cesarean section is recommended. Such a measure will save the child from birth injuries, and the mother from unnecessary blood loss. In case of acute thrombocytopenia, pregnancy is contraindicated, but if it does occur, then an abortion cannot be performed, since the intervention can be fatal for the patient.

The importance of platelets for a pregnant woman

Platelets are platelets of blood that are necessary for normal blood clotting and stopping bleeding. Also, these blood elements perform a protective function in the body. Platelets are produced in the bone marrow.

The level of platelets can be determined using a blood test, which a pregnant woman should take in the morning on an empty stomach. For a non-pregnant woman, the norm is 150-400 thousand/µl

During pregnancy, the indicator may change; the individual characteristics of the body are of no small importance here.

If the pregnant woman is healthy, platelets may decrease slightly. Doctors attribute this to the fact that blood elements are quickly destroyed, because a pregnant woman has increased peripheral blood circulation (the amount of blood in the body increases).

Causes of thrombocytopenia in pregnant women

The main factors causing thrombocytopenia in mothers are:

Intrauterine fetal death;
Allergic reactions;
Infectious viral pathologies;
Poor nutrition with deficiency of B12 and folates;
Excessively rapid death of red blood cells due to hormonal imbalance;
Side effects from long-term antibiotic therapy, intoxication with drugs and other substances;
Obstetric bleeding, for example, with placental abruption;
Thrombocytopenia of autoimmune origin;
Neuropathic condition, preeclampsia or eclampsia of a pregnant woman;
An increase in the volume of circulating blood, causing the percentage of platelet cells to fall.

Sometimes the number of platelet cell structures decreases due to physiological factors.
This deviation does not require special therapy, however, it requires monitoring through laboratory blood tests. If the diagnosis shows a pathological decrease in platelet levels, then therapeutic elimination of the etiological factor is required using individually selected treatment. Such measures are necessary to avoid dangerous complications of pregnancy and the birth process. There is also a secondary form of thrombocytopenia, which usually develops against the background of radiation sickness (irradiation), toxic poisoning with alcohol, gasoline derivatives or metal salts. In addition, secondary thrombocytopenia in pregnant women can be caused by inhibition of megakaryocytic growth and toxic bone marrow lesions. Similar conditions occur due to viral exposure (chickenpox, measles, scarlet fever, etc.) or under the influence of bacterial poisons. Leukemia, splenomegaly, and the use of cytostatic drugs can reduce platelet production.

Reasons for the decline

The reasons why the number of platelets in the blood decreases are varied. In order for the doctor to understand what exactly led to such a clinical picture, additional research will definitely be needed. To do this, the woman is prescribed a blood test for biochemistry, as well as for infections, including hepatitis and HIV status.

To understand whether everything is in order with the function of these blood plates, a comprehensive blood clotting test will be prescribed, which will show not only the number of platelets, but also their quality, determine the speed of blood clotting, and show whether there are enough enzymes and proteins involved in the factors coagulability.

The following diseases and conditions most often lead to thrombocytopenia:

Allergy. With any inadequate reaction of the body to an allergen, the composition of the blood changes. The platelet count may be reduced.
Autoimmune processes. Quite often the reason lies in the fact that the woman’s body produces special antibodies that destroy platelets. A decrease in this case is inevitable.
Inadequate nutrition and lack of vitamins. An unbalanced, poor or unhealthy diet affects the composition of the blood, and quantitative formulas can fluctuate noticeably in one direction or another. Most often, low platelets during pregnancy are observed with a deficiency of vitamin B 12 and folic acid.
HIV infection. In a state of immunodeficiency, the number of platelets decreases sharply. Even if the first HIV test was negative (and all pregnant women do this when registering), there is no guarantee that the second test will also be negative. The incubation period of the disease is long, and infection could have occurred after registration.

Lack of vitamins

Allergy

HIV infection

Problems with the thyroid gland. If this gland produces insufficient or excessive amounts of hormones, this also cannot but affect the composition of the blood.
Blood diseases. Some diseases, such as leukemia, are accompanied by a significant decrease in the number of blood platelets. The woman will need a consultation with a hematologist and additional examination so that this reason can be confirmed or refuted.
Oncology. Recently, the number of pregnant women who are diagnosed with malignant tumors for the first time during pregnancy has increased. With any cancer process, the platelet count decreases. The decrease is more pronounced and rapidly observed in malignant processes affecting the bone marrow.

Blood diseases Oncology

Exacerbation of chronic diseases and acute illnesses. Infectious diseases, as well as existing pathologies of internal organs during pregnancy, are also undesirable because they affect the composition of maternal blood and lead to thrombocytopenia and anisocytosis (proliferation) of platelets.
Medicines. Taking certain medications, such as antihistamines, antibiotics, painkillers, can cause a decrease in the concentration of platelets in the blood of the expectant mother.

Thrombocytosis during pregnancy

It is common knowledge that many changes occur in a woman’s body during pregnancy. One of these changes is an increase in the number of platelets in the blood. In this regard, the overall viscosity of the blood increases. But at the same time, there is an upper limit for the normal platelet count during pregnancy - 380 x 109/l. If the platelet level exceeds the specified number, then they speak of the development of thrombophilia. This condition leads to thrombosis:

there is a threat of termination of pregnancy;
delay in fetal development;
toxicosis;
thrombosis of the lower extremities (most often);
risk of heart attack due to blockage of blood vessels;
risk of embolism (separation of a blood clot and its transfer by the blood flow to other organs);
varicose veins.

Increased platelet levels are divided into:

Primary. It occurs as a result of hereditary and immune diseases, as well as when the function of hematopoiesis in the bone marrow is impaired. In this case, such disorders will most likely be detected before pregnancy.
Secondary. This is symptomatic thrombocytosis. The reasons for its occurrence are:

infectious diseases (in addition to increasing the number of platelets, leukocytes increase significantly, other blood parameters change);
inflammatory processes in various organs and systems of the body (lead to increased platelet formation);
changes in blood composition (most often iron deficiency);
taking certain medications;
malignant neoplasms;
severe toxicosis of pregnant women (vomiting leads to thickening of the blood).

If thrombocytosis is detected, you must:

take additional blood tests for platelet levels (three times every 3-5 days);
check the level of serum iron and ferritin (if there is a suspicion of iron deficiency in the pregnant woman’s body);
do a coagulogram (blood clotting test);
do an ultrasound of internal organs;
undergo a thorough examination by a gynecologist;
visit a therapist and hematologist.

Treatment of thrombocytosis

Treatment of thrombocytosis in a pregnant woman comes down to preventing the formation of blood clots and treating the underlying disease. Are used:

Antiplatelet drugs. During pregnancy, dipyridamole is most often prescribed, which, in addition to a pronounced antithrombotic effect, has the ability to improve uteroplacental blood flow.
If there is a significant increase in the level of platelets in the blood of a pregnant woman, injections of anticoagulants, for example, Fraxiparine, can be used. Anticoagulants are drugs that help reduce blood clotting and also stop further growth of already formed blood clots. Injection therapy is carried out in courses under the control of a blood test. It should be taken into account that the last course of anticoagulants should be administered no later than the 32nd week of pregnancy (to avoid the risk of bleeding during childbirth).
If it is impossible to combine treatment and bearing a child, the woman may be offered termination of pregnancy for medical reasons.
A slight increase in the level of platelets in the blood does not require drug treatment, because this is the body’s response to the appearance of uteroplacental circulation.

Treatment

In medicine, there are many forms of thrombocytopenia, so you cannot prescribe treatment yourself; it is necessary that this be done by an experienced doctor.

If a low platelet count during pregnancy occurs as a result of an infection entering the body, then everything should return to normal after recovery from it.

If the problem arose as a result of taking some medications, then the solution is very simple and clear - stop using them.

If the problem arose due to a malfunction of the internal organs that are responsible for the production of hormones and antibodies (kidneys, liver, thyroid gland), then the doctor will prescribe treatment that will help restore the normal functioning of these organs.

If the problem is related to a lack of some vitamins in the body, then following the basic principles of the diet can help. Not many people know about this, but in vain, because pregnant women should not include smoked and canned foods, or anything that contains acetic and citric acid, in their diet. A list of what expectant mothers must eat: fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts and berries, legumes, meat, fish, mushrooms, eggs.

The disease is an autoimmune type, in which the body itself prevents the production of new platelets and destroys old platelets.

In this case, the treatment will also be special:

The doctor will prescribe corticosteroid drugs, angioprotectors and immunoglobulins.
Prescribe a special diet.
In some cases, blood transfusions are prescribed.

Low platelets during pregnancy are very dangerous for the body, so if any of its symptoms are discovered, you need to seek the help of a specialist who will understand the causes and accompanying treatment.

The importance of timely diagnosis and treatment

Low platelet count

A low level of platelets, or thrombocytopenia, occurs when the level of these cells in the blood drops below 140 thousand/µl.

Causes

The causes of thrombocytopenia include the following factors:

allergies;
intoxication and viral infections;
deficiency of vitamins and minerals in the body;
anemia caused by a lack of folic acid or vitamin B12;
late gestosis in severe form;
excess or deficiency of thyroid hormones;
bleeding, including internal;
disorders of the kidneys;
malfunction of the coagulation system;
bone marrow hypoplasia;
oncological diseases affecting the bone marrow;
chronic hepatitis;
systemic lupus erythematosus;
thrombocytopenic purpura;
taking medications that affect the composition of the blood (diuretics, painkillers, anti-allergenic and anti-rheumatic drugs, some antibiotics, Quinine, etc.).

Symptoms

Thrombocytopenia is detected using a general blood test and coagulogram, although the problem can be suspected based on a number of external factors:

hematomas constantly form on the body - often due to simple finger pressure;
you can notice a rash on the skin, which is a collection of small hemorrhages;
bleeding gums appear;
Spontaneous nosebleeds often occur;
when cuts occur, the bleeding does not stop for a long time;
the stool becomes too dark, which indicates internal bleeding;
There is bloody discharge from the vagina.

External signs of thrombocytopenia - gallery

Treatment

Medical prescriptions depend on what form of thrombocytopenia is diagnosed.

In the case of a viral disease, the platelet level normalizes on its own after adequate treatment of the infection.
If the problem is caused by taking any medications, then it is enough to stop using these drugs.
If you have problems with the kidneys, liver or thyroid gland, it is necessary to normalize the functioning of these organs.
eggs, legumes and mushrooms are perfect for replenishing iron deficiency;
fish, meat, liver - rich in vitamin B12;
greens and nuts - contain folic acid. If the reason is a lack of vitamins, then the situation can be easily corrected with the help of diet. Expectant mothers should exclude smoked meats, canned food and foods that contain citric or acetic acid from their diet. Pregnant women are recommended to consume in sufficient quantities:
For an autoimmune type of disease, when the body produces antibodies that destroy platelets, treatment will consist of:
diet;
the use of angioprotectors and immunoglobulins;
blood transfusion (prescribed in severe cases, when the platelet level is below 20 x 10^9/l, and medications do not give the desired effect or their use is impossible for medical reasons).

Thrombocytosis

This is a hematological abnormality, the opposite of thrombocytopenia, in which the number of platelets in the blood is higher than normal. This pathology can be caused by:

Overproduction of platelets by the bone marrow;
Slowing down the breakdown of old platelets;
Violation of the distribution of cellular blood structures in the body;
Hyperaggregation of platelets (increasing their ability to connect, stick together).

Causes

Thrombocytosis can be caused by:

Viruses, bacteria, fungi;
Toxicosis, accompanied by frequent vomiting;
Inflammatory diseases;
Acute blood loss;
Taking certain medications, in particular steroid hormones.

Danger

This disease creates a risk of vascular blockage. Blood clots that form in blood vessels can be torn away from their walls by the blood flow. The entry of a large clot (thrombus) into the pulmonary artery causes instant death, and the result of blockage of a cerebral artery by a large thrombus is a cerebral infarction. Placental vascular thrombosis, which develops in the first half of pregnancy, often leads to miscarriage.

How is thrombocytosis detected and treated?

A slightly elevated platelet count, when the number is only slightly higher than normal, is common during pregnancy. This physiological thrombocytosis usually does not cause symptoms, is detected during routine blood tests, and does not require treatment. This is the body’s reaction to pregnancy, the purpose of this “restructuring” is to reduce blood loss during childbirth.

If test results show a significant increase in platelet levels, antiplatelet agents - antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants - are used to reduce it. The former prevents excessive platelet aggregation, the latter inhibits the activity of the blood coagulation system at the non-cellular level.

How to lower platelet levels

If the disease is mild, platelet levels during pregnancy can be restored with diet. The menu should be dominated by products that contain in large quantities:

iodine (seafood, fish caviar, persimmon, buckwheat),
calcium and magnesium (all dairy products, soy, dark green vegetables, avocado, rice bran);
olive and linseed oil.

Foods such as bananas, pomegranates, walnuts, chokeberries should be excluded from the diet - they will further increase blood viscosity. To prevent “thickening” of the blood, a pregnant woman needs to drink 2–2.5 liters of liquid per day, acidic drinks are especially useful.

Norms by trimester

The indicated platelet rate during pregnancy (140-340 thousand/μl) is not constant; it can also change according to the timing of fetal development. In the first 3 months, the deviation from the average norm in adults is quite insignificant. The content of blood clotting cells is 170-340 thousand/µl.

By the period when the 2nd trimester begins, the length of the placental vessels increases, and the number of blood platelets decreases even more. It fluctuates in the range of 160-340 thousand/µl.

In the 3rd trimester, the total volume of circulating liquid tissue increases even more. The number of coagulation cells reaches the average pregnancy norm of 140-340 thousand/µl.

An increase or decrease in platelet count is equally dangerous for both the pregnant woman and the developing fetus. Constant monitoring includes taking a blood test to determine coagulation activity by trimester; if the general condition of the pregnant woman is normal, a coagulogram is performed only before childbirth or cesarean section to eliminate the risk of bleeding or thrombosis.

Important information: What are monocytes in the blood and a table of norms by age of women

During any trimester, a test may be prescribed if a woman is found to have:

gestosis (late toxicosis);
there is a history of previous miscarriages;
varicose veins and other vascular pathologies;
diseases of the liver, cardiovascular system, nosebleeds, etc.

What is platelet aggregation during pregnancy?

Such an anomaly during pregnancy leads to serious complications, including blood clots in various organs and the placenta. Aggregation below normal indicates disturbances in the coagulation system and can provoke microcirculatory bleeding. All examinations and therapeutic measures for coagulation disorders are carried out by a hematologist based on test results.

Platelets during pregnancy may differ from those of non-pregnant women by 10-20% due to physiological reasons. But if there are too few or too many platelets, this can lead to significant problems in the mother and fetus.

To minimize the negative manifestations of pathology, it is important to diagnose it in time. This is done by a hematologist who will accurately determine the cause of the disease and prescribe individual treatment.

Based on materials from 1pokrovi.ru

Before answering the question: “what should be the platelet rate during pregnancy?”, we note that pregnancy is a special time for a woman. As a rule, it is a happy time, associated with the fulfillment of the highest destiny of a woman’s destiny.

A woman has to be more reasonable, more responsible, wiser and stricter with herself. Because you need to think not only about your health, but also about the health of your unborn child. And therefore, receiving the result of the next clinical blood test in her hands, her eyes curiously examine the lines with still incomprehensible symbols, words and meanings - HCT, MCH, MPV, PLT, LYMP%, RBC, leukocytes, eosinophils, hematocrit norm, platelet norm - What is this? what do these numbers mean? Is everything okay with my health? are there any deviations? Is there a threat to my unborn child?

We hope that the material presented in this article will help partially satisfy women’s curiosity by popularly explaining the meaning of one of the parameters of a general blood test - the number of platelets in the blood. We will also tell you what these formations are, what function they perform, what they are responsible for, what the platelet level should be during pregnancy, what deviations from the normal platelet level indicate - such knowledge cannot be useless.

Platelets are called nuclear-free, spherical plates of blood. A platelet (in Greek θρόμβος means clot, and κύτος means cell) is not quite a full-fledged cell, a kind of protein formation focused on performing a specific function in our body. This is what a platelet looks like in the photo:

Platelets, like other blood cells, are formed in the red blood marrow. They bud from the cytoplasm of giant cells - megakaryocytes, being part of their cytoplasm. A platelet lives for 5-11 days; its lifespan is determined by the characteristics of the biological environment and the state of human health. During this time, the platelet goes through 3 forms of existence - young, mature, old. There are also forms that reflect pathological and situational states of platelets, for example, “degenerative” and “irritable.”

In its mature form, the platelet is much larger in size compared to its other forms. Only when mature is it able to fulfill its main purpose - to participate in the processes of regeneration (healing) of damaged body tissues and blood clotting.

In the normal (non-activated) state, the platelet is a lump of neutral cytoplasm. At the moment of activation, it changes its shape and becomes “sticky”. Thanks to this, platelets can attach to the edges of damaged tissue or vessels, forming a kind of ring of platelets around the perimeter, which over time (depending on the size of the damage, but normally 8-10 minutes) fills towards the center.

The platelet barrier is called the “primary plug” by doctors. Next, the process of hemostasis continues with the protein deposited on the primary plug - fibrinogen. The resulting compound activates blood clotting factors, which transform the primary plug into a secondary one - the fibrin protein. After a certain time, the damage is eliminated, the fibrin plug disintegrates, and fibrin breakdown products are absorbed by macrophages.

A few words about platelet activation: the platelet membrane in an inactivated state is covered on the outside by phosphatidylcholine molecules, and on the inside by phospholipid molecules. Only phospholipid molecules have the ability to be “sticky”. During activation, phospholipids, due to the phenomenon of osmosis, pass through the platelet membrane to the surface, making it “sticky”. Activation of platelets is not retroactive; once it occurs, it changes the properties of the platelet forever.

Clinical blood test - platelet standards during pregnancy

Clinical, also known as “general” blood test, is the most common of all blood tests. Almost any civilized person is familiar with this type of analysis.

With a frequent and long history of use in clinical medical research, a complete blood count may vary in form, parameters and values.

This is what a standard general blood test form looks like:

In a non-standard form, it may look different, some of its parameters can be changed, but what can never be changed is the symbols. For platelets they are as follows:

Now regarding platelet standards in general. The data is shown in the table below by category - children, men, women. You can be sure that the platelet rate in the blood of men and women is different - in women it is slightly lower in both the lower and upper limits. In children, initially high platelet levels decrease over time.

From the data in the table, which displays the norms during pregnancy by trimester, it is clearly seen that the level of platelets is more or less stable during the first 2 trimesters and changes dramatically in the 3rd trimester.

Pathological conditions associated with high/low platelet count in the blood

In medical terminology, any deviation from the normal limits of platelet content in the blood is called “thrombocytopathy”. If the pathology values are below the lower limit of normal, this is thrombocytopenia, if above the upper limit, it is thrombocytosis. Disorders associated with the functionality of platelets are called “thrombasthenia.”

A lack of platelets in the blood can cause blood clotting to decrease and even with a small cut a person can lose a lot of blood - several times more than with normal platelet levels. This pathology occurs after long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), for example, acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).

An excessive number of platelets in the blood is also very dangerous for the body. At the slightest disturbance in the human biological cycle, platelets will stick together into fibrin clots and clog blood vessels, reducing their permeability. This situation is fraught not only with a general deterioration in health, but also with more complex clinical manifestations - a brain vessel blocked by a blood clot may burst, hemorrhage will begin, followed by a heart attack or stroke. Extensive, that is, with profuse hemorrhage, a heart attack or stroke - this means death in 99.9% of cases.

Thrombocytopenia during gestation

A lack of platelets in the blood indicates that a woman:

there is a viral infection;
lack of iron in the body;
an autoimmune disease develops;
allergy or allergic reaction;
lack of B vitamins;
there is internal hemorrhage;
consequences occurred after long-term use of diuretics, sulfonamides and NSAIDs.

Thrombocytopenia manifests itself in the form of spontaneous bruises, abrasions, bleeding gums, and abnormally long bleeding, for example, from the nose.

The third trimester is the time when the threat of thrombocytopenia is most likely. The most negative consequence of thrombocytopenia for a pregnant woman can be pathology of fetal development.

Thrombocytosis during gestation

Elevated platelets during pregnancy will indicate:

acute bacterial infections;
lack of iron in the body;
presence of cancer (leukemia, tumors of internal organs);
hormonal imbalance;
a woman taking corticosteroids;
woman drinking strong alcohol.

The appearance of venous networks, nodules and expansions on the surface of the skin (particular attention should be paid to the legs) will be indirect evidence of the onset of thrombocytosis in the body of a pregnant woman.

An increased level of platelets in a woman’s blood can lead to the formation of blood clots in the circulatory system of a pregnant woman’s placenta, which in the first semester will mean spontaneous termination of gestation, that is, miscarriage.

Establishing a diagnosis and prescribing treatment for such serious disorders in the body as thrombocytosis and thrombocytopenia must be entrusted to a specialist.

Taking a blood test is a mandatory test throughout the entire pregnancy period. Any deviations should alert the attending physician. However, it is not uncommon for minor changes in one or two parameters to be a variant of the norm. Under what conditions are platelets low during pregnancy and when should you be concerned?

Platelets are small blood cells responsible for coagulation and the ability to regenerate damaged tissue. During pregnancy, platelets play a significant role in the normal functioning of the placenta; their normal level contributes to the flow of nutrients from the mother’s bloodstream to the fetus. The normal platelet count during pregnancy ranges from 180-380 thousand/µl. Minor deviations from these indicators do not cause concern among doctors. However, a persistent significant increase or decrease in parameters necessitates diagnosis.

It should be remembered that a single analysis will never give a complete picture of your health status. A low level of platelets is often recorded due to improper collection, long-term storage of material, or insufficient nutrition. Also, the results can be affected by severe stress, poisoning, excessive physical and psychological stress of a pregnant woman. To talk about pathology, you should donate blood at least 2-3 times.

If the platelet level is fixed below 130-140, this may indicate the presence of serious diseases:

ARVI or inflammatory process;
HIV infection;
endocrine disorders;
internal bleeding;
Iron-deficiency anemia;
lupus erythematosus;
intrauterine fetal death;
leukemia or other blood diseases.

However, most often the situation looks much more banal. Low platelets during pregnancy are determined by:

late gestosis;
some types of allergic reactions;
lack of vitamins and minerals (in particular folic acid and zinc);
use of certain medications.

In addition, in late pregnancy there is a physiological decrease in platelets to 140 thousand/μl. For an accurate diagnosis, a woman will need to undergo several specific tests, and possibly resort to instrumental examination methods. Having ruled out all pathologies, the doctor prescribes corrective nutrition and the use of multivitamin complexes and dietary supplements.

Thrombocytopenia low platelet count

A dangerous condition for a pregnant woman is a significant decrease in platelets in the blood. The first symptoms are increased bleeding and the appearance of small bruises. The main reason for a decrease in platelet levels is poor nutrition of a pregnant woman.

It is worth considering that chronic bleeding is often caused by disruptions in the immune system. In this case, platelets may stop being produced altogether or have an abnormal structure.

Causes of thrombocytopenia include:

Severe nephropathy.
Preeclampsia.
Blood clotting disorder.
Bleeding.
Systemic lupus erythematosus.
Folate deficiency.
Taking certain medications.
Viral infectious disease.
Allergic reaction.

How to determine the value

Only a clinical general analysis can determine the platelet count. It will not be possible to independently calculate the presence of cells responsible for the ability of blood to clot. But both an increase and a decrease in content correspond to special symptoms, the appearance of which a woman should notify her gynecologist.

Important information: What does low or decreased ESR mean in a blood test in women?

With reduced coagulation (lack of platelets), the following occurs:

nosebleeds;
hematomas from light pressure on the skin;
bleeding gums;
prolonged bleeding from minor injuries;
dark chair.

A high content of clotting cells is called thrombocytosis. In this condition the following appear:

pallor of the skin and mucous membranes;
numbness of the limbs;
dyspnea;
blood pressure fluctuations.

In addition to the above, the same hematomas and bleeding gums are characteristic as with a decrease in the level of coagulation cells. You cannot independently try to determine the number of platelets in the blood and take any measures during gestation.