Platelet Count and Platelet Indices at Various Stages of Normal Pregnancy in Smoking and Non-Smoking Women

Our objective was to compare the platelet count and platelet indices of smoking and non-smoking women at different stages of normal pregnancy. Study design : 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 ≥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. Conclusion : Smoking during pregnancy does not significantly affect platelet count or platelet indices.