TOPIC:

Never dealt with low platelets till pregnant with my son. My counts are still low and I am being treated with weekly IVIg infusions. We found out yesterday that my 10 week old son, Jaxon, has a count of 26,000. Anyone with experience here? I'm told they will check him in 2 weeks and again 2 weeks later but there is no treatment for infants...I am breastfeeding 90% of the time. Could this be part of the problem? His counts were normal at birth and had not been checked again until yesterday. My poor baby

I am pretty sure that IVIG can be used for infants. Hopefully, it is a transient thing...it usually is for babies. I don't think breast feeding can contribute to his low counts; probably just antibodies that he acquired before birth.

Sorry to hear that! Keep us posted.

Hi cloyd, just wanted to say thinking of you and little Jaxon hoping he is ok.

Hi Cloyd,

So sad! Sorry to hear that. I just had a couple of thoughts that might be worth exploring if they could be possibilities for him. One, was he given the Hep B shot at birth (standard protocol for most hospital births these days, usually within the first 24 hours)? There are a number of different studies showing that it does seem to have some effect at increasing ITP in infants. I can't access my other studies for now, but here is at least one:
www.medicaljournal-ias.org/Belgelerim/.../SakhaMRNWCLQAVO56203.pdf

The other thing I thought of, if you're getting weekly IVIGs, maybe his platelets are being affected by the Tylenol and/or Benadryl that you might be given as pre- or -post treatments. If you do a search, both these commonly usedOTC drugs have thrombocytopenia listed as a side effect. While these drugs obviously don't cause low platelets in everyone, if there's already that propensity and weakness there, these should likely be avoided, as much as possible.

Do you think that any of these may have affected him?

April

thanks everyone. I can't help but worry about him. I will look into every suggestion you have made.

sorry to hear that. a baby's platelets can drop days after birth so if he wasn't tested after week 1 for example it could be that they have been lowish all this time. sometimes it can take months for your antibodies to clear from his system. I don't think it's the breastfeeding - ITP in mom and breastfeeding is not contradicted. IVIg and steroids are both used in babies if the numbers get really low. Good luck and I hope it resolves soon. hang in there.

My pregnancy was common with yours...
I found out I had ITP during my pregnancy (treated with steroids) and when my son was born his platelets were low and he had to stay at the hospital- they gave him IVIg treatments and was able to come home after 10days. he followed up with hemotologist for few months and his platelets have been fine after that first few weeks of worry- the IVIg worked! he is a healthy 20month old boy
As for me I still deal with dropping platelets and get IVIg approx every 2 months.....

How are u and baby recently?

o and as for the breast feeding- the drs told me it was fine to breastfeed and I did but only the 1st month (i had to stop because i was sick and on medications)

Brittany, thanks for posting. Jaxon's low platelets have me concerned but he is otherwise amazing and growing like a weed! Eats and sleeps like a champion! He is already 15 pounds (11 weeks tomorrow). He is becoming very vocal and has mastered his smile
I am very tired of this ITP business and am going to be tested for lupus at my next hema appointment. I still get IVIg infusions once a week and my platelets have been 169, 149, 129...so they are good but continue to fluctuate. Without the IVIg they plummet.

omg u go once a week?! i thought every 2months was miserable! do u still have to sit on iv 2days in a row- 6hours each day?

Oddly enough, my health insurance only covers the infusions done through home care...so I have a visiting nurse that comes over once a weekly to infuse. She is here for 4 hours every Friday. Its not so bad but add the 11 week old and the 2 1/2 year old and it gets pretty complicated...I try to get a babysitter but its not always possible.

being a mom is a tough job to begin with then we have these other problems to deal with! Good luck and try to stay positive -i know its hard sometimes