Relationship of maternal mean platelet volume with fetal Doppler parameters and neonatal complications in pregnancies with and without intrauterine growth restriction

Objective: In this study, we investigated the relationship of mean platelet volume (MPV) with the presence and the severity of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and with neonatal complications. Methods: The pregnancies with and without IUGR, that were followed-up in our hospital between 2003 and 2009 were analyzed retrospectively. Pregnancies which resulted in birth of a newborn with a birthweight less than 10th percentile for the gestational age were selected for IUGR group. IUGR cases were divided into three groups according to the Doppler parameters. Results: There was no significant difference between the MPV values in the groups. There was no association between MPV and Doppler parameters that can be used in predicting the severity of IUGR. There was no significant relation between MPV and the perinatal complications such as intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), the development of sepsis, postpartum exitus (PPEX) and intrauterine exitus (IUEX). Higher MPV values were associated with hospitalization in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in the IUGR group. Conclusion: Analysis of MPV is a simple and readily available laboratory test. Prospective researches employing standard measurement technics are required to clarify the relationship between MPV and IUGR.