Evaluation and treatment of thrombocytopenia in the neonatal intensive care unit

Thrombocytopenia is a very frequent problem among sick neonates. This artic le provides neonatologists with a practical approach to the thrombocytopeni c neonate, with an emphasis on conditions that could be life threatening or could have significant implications for further pregnancies. An overview o f the current therapeutic modalities is also presented, including a discuss ion of the possible use of recombinant thrombopoietic cytokines to treat ce rtain groups of thrombocytopenic neonates.