Provision of platelet support for fetuses and neonates affected by severe fetomaternal alloimmune thrombocytopenia

Severe fetomaternal alloimmune thrombocytopenia requires urgent treatment w ith compatible platelet concentrates. As prompt treatment is sometimes dela yed owing to the unavailability of compatible platelets, we established an accredited platelet donor panel to provide effective and timely transfusion support for fetal and neonatal therapy. After a mass screening programme o f over 60 000 blood donations, 45 KPA-1a-negative donors with no antibodies to HPA, HLA, red cell antigens and granulocytes/lymphocytes, and with low titre anti-A and/or -B were accredited. All accredited donors were fully ge notyped for HPA-1, -2, -3 and -5 by PCR-SSP. Ninety-one per cent of the acc redited donors were also negative for HPA-5b.