title: Platelet count and platelet indices at various stages of normal pregnancy in smoking and non-smoking women.
abstract: Our objective was to compare the platelet count and platelet indices of smoking and non-smoking women at different stages of normal pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 247 non-smoking and 123 smoking healthy pregnant women the platelet count, the mean platelet volume, the platelet distribution width and the plateletcrit were compared at 0-10, 11-20, 21-30 and 31-40 weeks of pregnancy. Exclusion criteria were a diastolic pressure > or = 90 mmHg, an endocrine disease, a coagulation disorder, acetylsalicylic acid or phenprocoumon use. A women was considered a smoker if she smoked more than 4 cigarettes a day. Non-smokers were defined as women reporting no smoking at all. Blood samples were run on the Sysmex NE-8000.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference between the platelet count in the two groups. In the non-smoking group, the platelet count showed a significant decrease with gestational age (287 x 10(9)/l to 258 x 10(9)/l). This was not the case in the smokers group. The mean platelet volume of the smokers was significantly lower than that of the non-smokers in the last ten weeks of pregnancy (10.4 fl versus 10.7 fl). The platelet distribution width and the plateletcrit did not change under the influence of cigarette smoking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Smoking during pregnancy does not significantly affect platelet count or platelet indices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, De Wever Hospital, Heerlen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Mercelina-Roumans
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ubachs
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: van Wersch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D006400:Hematocrit; D006801:Humans; D010976:Platelet Count; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood*