Final answer:
Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia occurs when antibodies in the mother's blood attack the baby's platelets, similar to the mechanism in hemolytic disease of the newborn where maternal anti-Rh antibodies attack fetal Rh+ red blood cells.
Correct option is C
Step-by-step explanation:
Neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia results from c) antibodies in the mother's blood attacking the baby's platelets. This condition is similar to erythroblastosis fetalis, also known as hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN), which occurs when there is an Rh factor incompatibility between the mother and the fetus. In the case of HDN, maternal anti-Rh antibodies cross the placenta and target the fetal Rh+ red blood cells for destruction, leading to anemia and, in severe cases, more critical conditions. To prevent this, mothers with Rh incompatibility may receive Rho(D) immune globulin to prevent the formation of these damaging antibodies.
It is not caused by maternal alcohol or drug use, nor by genetic mutations, but rather an immune response where the mother's body identifies the baby's platelets as foreign and produces antibodies against them.