How I manage pregnancy in women with Glanzmann thrombasthenia

Abstract

Abstract Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT) is a rare inherited platelet function disorder caused by a quantitative and/or qualitative defect of the αIIbβ3 integrin. Pregnancy and delivery are recognized risk periods for bleeding in women with GT. The newborn may also be affected by fetal and neonatal immune thrombocytopenia induced by the transplacental passage of maternal anti-αIIbβ3 antibodies, which can lead to severe hemorrhage and fetal loss. Pregnancy in women with GT thus requires a multidisciplinary approach, including prepregnancy counseling and a treatment plan for delivery for both the mother and child. In this article, we summarize the current knowledge on pregnancy in women with GT and describe how we manage this severe platelet disorder in our clinical practice.