The causes of neonatal thrombocytopenia can be broadly classified into two categories: decreased platelet production and increased platelet destruction.
- Decreased platelet production: This can occur due to congenital infections, bone marrow failure syndromes, or genetic disorders like Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and thrombocytopenia with absent radii (TAR) syndrome. - Increased platelet destruction: This is often due to immune-mediated processes, such as maternal autoimmune diseases (e.g., systemic lupus erythematosus) or alloimmune thrombocytopenia, where maternal antibodies target fetal platelets. Other causes include sepsis, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and certain medications.
