ITP in children is often considered a different disease than ITP in adults because children usually recover more easily. However, ITP in adolescents is more like ITP in adults with a greater chance of it lasting a long time.
The most feared complication of ITP is intracranial hemorrhage, a bleed to the brain, like a stroke. Fortunately, this is rare, occurring in less than .5 to 1.0% of the children diagnosed with ITP.
About 4.3 to 5.3 per 100,000 children are diagnosed with ITP each year.1,2 Since children with ITP usually recover, the number of children who have ITP at any one time is about equal to those diagnosed annually.3
Since ITP is a diagnosis of exclusion, it is important to rule out other causes of low platelets and tell the doctor about events that could have triggered the low platelets.
More about Other Platelet Disorders
Treatments
The treatments for ITP in children can vary depending on the child’s platelet count, activity level and bleeding symptoms. Whatever the treatment regimen, it is important for the child to have as normal a life as possible. Because many children recover and the treatments can be difficult, some pediatric hematologists suggest a watchful waiting approach. New treatments for children are in Clinical Trials.
More about Treatments
Vaccinations
About one in every 25,000 MMR vaccinations will result in a diagnosis of ITP4. Gardasil is associated with the development of ITP. However the incidence of this side effect is not known.5
For information on informed vaccine decisions, visit the National Vaccine Information Center and the vaccine information from the Centers for Disease Control.
References
1. Fogarty PF, Segal JB. "The epidemiology of immune thrombocytopenic purpura." Curr Opin Hematol. 2007;14: 515-519. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17934361
2. Zeller B, Helgestad J, Hellebostad M, et al. "Immune thrombocytopenic purpura in childhood in Norway: a prospective, population-based registration." Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2000;17(7):551-558. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15981751
3. Segal JB, Powe NR. "Prevalence of immune thrombocytopenia: analyses of administrative data." J Thromb Haemost. 2006;4(11):2377-2383. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16869934
4. Black C, Kaye JA, Jick H. "MMR vaccine and idiopathic thrombocytopaenic purpura." Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2003 Jan;55(1):107-11. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12534647
5. Gardasil package insert. http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/g/gardasil/gardasil_pi.pdf
