Mild Thrombocytopenia at Admission to Labor and Delivery: Implications for Postpartum Hemorrhage

BACKGROUND: Postpartum hemorrhage remains a leading cause of severe maternal morbidity and mortality. The association between mild thrombocytopenia and postpartum blood loss or red blood cell transfusion has not been well studied. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether mild thrombocytopenia at admission to labor and delivery is associated with increased rates of postpartum hemorrhage and packed red blood cell transfusion. STUDY DESIGN: or Mann-Whitney U test. A multivariable logistic regression was also performed. RESULTS: values < .05). These outcomes all remained statistically significant after adjusting for confounding variables. CONCLUSIONS: Mild thrombocytopenia prior to delivery is associated with a small increased chance of red blood cell transfusion, postpartum hemorrhage, uterotonic use, and the need for additional procedures postpartum.