Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia in the Irish population: a discrepancy between observed and expected cases

Abstract

Screening studies in predominantly white populations have estimated the incidence of NAITP to be between 1 in 1000 and 1 in 2000 live births. With 50 000 births each year in Ireland, these results give a clinical detection rate for NAITP of just 1 case in 16 500 live births, strongly suggesting that NAITP is currently underdiagnosed. Antenatal screening to detect women at risk of having babies with NAITP is now scientifically feasible and should be considered.