Platelet Counts in Healthy Premature Infants

Kim, Heung Kyu; Kim, You Nam

Abstract

Serial platelet counts performed at four day intervals on forty two healthy premature infants whose birth weights were less than 2200 grams. The forty two infants were divided into two groups: twelve premature infants weighing less than 1700 grams, and thirty prematures infants weighing over 1700 grams at birth. We evaluated the length of time for the platetet counts of the premature infants to equal that of the full-term infants. Platelet counts also were determined on ninety-nine healthy full-term infants during twenty one days of age. The platelet counts were repeated twice a day. The counts of the twenty-four healthy premature infants and the twenty-two healthy full term infants were compared using the Brecher-Cronkite method. 1) There was no significant differnce in platelet counts between twenty four healthy premature infants and twenty two healthy full-term infants obtained at birth and four hour of life by the method of Brecher-Cronkite and the error of platelet Counts was within 2.4 percent. 2) There was no significant difference in the mean platelet values between premature infants weighing less than 1700 grams(21200/mm3) and weighing over 1700 grams (21900/mm3)during first day of life. It was noted the mean platelet values of forty two premature infants were significantly lower than that of sixty eight full term infants which was 27500/mm3. 3) At nine days of life, the mean platelet values of the forty two premature infants equaled that of the sixty eight full term infants at leveles of 27500/mm3. The platelet values were increase continuously and reached peak level of 370000/mm3at the age of three weeks. Increase of platelet values in premature infants weighing less than 1700 grams at birth was delayed about one week compared with that of the infants over 1700 grams at birth.