- Mandy Moore revealed she has the rare blood disorder immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).
- It's characterized by low platelet counts, which can cause excessive bleeding during childbirth.
- Moore shared she will have an unmedicated birth as a precaution in an interview with "Today."
Mandy Moore is expecting her second child with her husband Taylor Goldsmith, 36, and recently revealed to "Today" that she'll have to give birth without pain medication due to a rare autoimmune blood disorder called immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).
"My platelets are too low for an epidural," Moore, 38, told the outlet. She said had to take the same precaution when she gave birth to her son August "Gus" Goldsmith, who is now 17 months old.
"It was awful. But I can do it one more time. I can climb that mountain again," Moore continued, reflecting on her first birth experience. "I wish medication was an option — just the idea of it being on the table is so nice. But we'll just push forth like we did last time."
Moore is taking extra care of herself during her second pregnancy. In late June, she canceled the remainder of her "In Real Life" tour, telling her followers that she wasn't pregnant when the dates were initially booked. She noted that the traveling required to tour while pregnant had "taken its toll" on her.
"I know that I have to put my family and my health (and the health of my baby) first and the best place for me to be right now is at home," Moore's statement continued.
On Thursday, Moore updated her followers on her condition in a now-expired Instagram Story. "I am fine. I just have to continue to get my blood checked — my platelet levels checked — throughout pregnancy," she shared in her stories, according to "Today."
She continued: "They're low, but they've always been low. But I'm all good. Everything's good."
What is immune thrombocytopenic purpura?
ITP is a rare blood disorder characterized by "unusually low levels of platelets" in the blood, per the Mayo Clinic.
The Platelet Disorder Support Association reported that only about 50000 people in the US are "currently living" with ITP. Worldwide, the Rare Disease Database estimated that "well over 200,000 people" are "affected by ITP."
According to the Mayo Clinic, the autoimmune disorder is "more common among young women."
Since platelets are cells that help stop bleeding, they can result in "excessive bruising and bleeding," according to the Mayo Clinic. Low platelet levels usually occur because the "immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys platelets," according to the Mayo Clinic. ITP can also be "triggered" by infections like HIV and hepatitis in adults, while kids may experience a viral illness such as the flu, per the Mayo Clinic.
The most extreme complication of ITP the Mayo Clinic listed is "bleeding into the brain, which can be fatal."
Moore needs to take extreme precautions and have unmedicated childbirth because Mayo Clinic stated that pregnant people have a "greater risk of heavy bleeding during delivery."
Dr. Ashley Roman, the director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at NYU Langone Health clarified for "Today" that the risk of excessive bleeding exists whether someone chooses to have a vaginal birth or a cesarean.
"There is also a risk to the fetus. The antibodies that cause the low platelets in the mother, can cross the placenta and affect the baby's platelet count as well," Dr. Roman continued. "In really rare cases, the platelet count in the fetus can be so low that it leads to bleeding problems in the baby."