Effect of Chemotherapy on Bone Mineral Density in Paediatric Cancer Survivors

Introduction: Thrombocytopenia is the most prevalent hematological condition in neonates that develops in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).This set of illnesses is caused by either decreased platelet production due to placental insufficiency, increased platelet breakdown (consumption), or a combination of the two causes.Based on platelet count, it is defined as mild, moderate, or severe thrombocytopenia, with early and late onset.The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of thrombocytopenia and the factors that contribute to it in newborns hospitalized in the neonatal critical care unit at the Maternity and Children Hospital in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia.Methodology: This descriptive retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out at the NICU of the Maternity and Children Hospital in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, over the span of one year (August 2022 to August 2023) among hospitalized neonates with thrombocytopenia.Thrombocytopenia is defined as a platelet count of 150,000 or less.These patients were monitored until they recovered or died. Results:The inclusion criteria were met by a total of 242 newborns with thrombocytopenia.Half of the neonates (57%) were full-term, with Apgar scores greater than 5 at the first (84%) and fifth (93%) minutes, respectively.The great majority of individuals (84%) experienced earlyonset thrombocytopenia of mild severity (62%) and were asymptomatic (93%).