Why might cord blood be a better source of platelets for transfusion to neonates?

Blood Transfus. 2024 Mar 27. doi: 10.2450/BloodTransfus.566. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThrombocytopenia (defined as a platelet count <150×109/L) is a common condition in preterm neonates and may occur in 18-35% of all infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Neonatal platelet functionality in terms of reactivity is often described as reduced compared to adults, even in healthy, term neonates. However, this platelet "hyporeactivity" does not correspond to a global functional impairment of the normal delicately balanced neonatal hemostatic system. The extent to which neonatal thrombocytopenia and platelet hyporeactivity contribute to the bleeding risk in preterm neonates remains unknown. Prophylactic platelet transfusions are often administered to them to reduce the risk of bleeding. However, recent literature indicates that adopting a higher platelet transfusion threshold than a lower one results in significantly higher death rates or major bleeding and can be harmful. Although the mechanism by which this occurs is not entirely clear, a mismatch between adult transfused platelets and the neonatal hemostatic system, as well as volume overload, are speculated to be potentially involved. Therefore, future research should consider novel transfusion products that may be more suitable for premature neonates. Blood products derived from umbilical cord blood (UCB) are promising, as they might perfectly match neonatal blood features. Here, we discuss the cur...
Source: Blood Transfusion - Category: Hematology Authors: Source Type: research