How is ITP diagnosed? - disclosed by Mandy Moore

Mandy's second baby

Mandy Moore is expecting baby number two shortly after giving birth to her son Gus in what she called a "harrowing" first birth. In addition to having a rare autoimmune disease called immune thrombocytopenic purpura, she will endure this birth "unmedicated," she recently told Parents Today. ITP causes low blood platelet counts, which makes an epidural extremely risky.

Moore's interview about the disease

According to her, she needed an epidural because her platelets were too low. Previously, it had been terrible. It can be done one more time. I can climb that mountain again. In an interview with Today, Moore revealed her diagnosis last Thursday. "I'm doing well. My platelet levels will be checked continuously throughout Pregnancy, just like my blood. They have always been low," she added, but they are low now. The rest of me is fine.

How does it affect Mandy?

There is a comparison between gestational thrombocytopenia, which characterizes a low platelet count during the second half of Pregnancy, and this condition. Her platelets remained low after giving birth, and Moore was diagnosed with ITP after tests for both conditions were completed.

ITP diagnosis: how is it done?

To diagnose ITP, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute suggests performing a complete blood count, blood smear, and bone marrow test. A platelet antibody test may also be required if the disease attacks platelets.

Mandy's treatment during Pregnancy

Moore did not reveal if she had any of those procedures, but she recommended dark leafy greens and lentils to boost her natural platelet production. Her levels, according to Us Weekly, were "not great." During the interview, the actress shared that she would love to have the option of taking medication during her Pregnancy. As we did last time, we will push forward.

Lag of platelets for Moore

Her first delivery was challenging, and ITP played a part, as she described in a March 2021 podcast with Dr. Berlin. To avoid an epidural, her platelets dropped "exponentially." Gus' heart rate dropped as tensions escalated moments later. It was all fine for a second. Suddenly, this happened. It was a literal push. "In seconds, there was a full body out," she explained.

Encouraging words for Mandy

Even with all the grumbling pain, she said she'd do it again to become a mom. The kind of love she felt was unprecedented. As if the world had stopped, you didn't even know what was happening. This is why all the tearing is non-existent. I don't care. Your baby is all you have on you. Nothing else mattered to me, she encouraged.