Deciding when — or whether — to treat a child with ITP can feel overwhelming for families. In this episode of Beyond the Count, Associate Professor Dr Tina Carter, Paediatric Haematologist at Perth Children’s Hospital, brings more than 30 years of experience to help parents understand how clinicians make these decisions.

Tina explains why ITP is always a diagnosis of exclusion, what doctors look for during assessment, and how factors like bleeding, age, symptoms, and family anxiety influence treatment choices. She walks us through first‑line options such as steroids and IVIG, the realities of side effects, and when second‑line therapies may be considered for children with persistent or chronic ITP.

This episode offers clear, compassionate guidance for parents navigating a new diagnosis — with practical insights, reassurance, and a reminder that most children recover well, often without treatment.

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Thanks for listening to Beyond the Count

For more information, resources and lived experiences about Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP), visit ITPANZ.org.au.

📱 Follow us on social media:
Instagram: @ITP_ANZ
Facebook: facebook.com/ITPANZ
LinkedIn: ITP Australia & New Zealand
YouTube: @ITPANZ

🎧 Subscribe to Beyond the Count on your preferred podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Do you have feedback or a story to share? We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch at info@itpaustralia.org.au

Medical advisors play a crucial role in rare disease care, ensuring patients are not only treated but truly understood.

In this episode of Beyond the Count, host Danielle Boyle speaks with Dr Danny Hsu, Consultant Haematologist at Liverpool Hospital and Medical Advisor to ITP Australia and New Zealand. Danny explains how medical advisors help shape treatment guidelines, support patient organisations, and translate complex medical information into clear, practical language for families.

The conversation highlights how advisors strengthen trust between patients and clinicians, contribute to advocacy and education, and provide reassurance that care is guided by experts. This episode offers insight into the human side of expertise and why medical advisors are such an important part of the ITP community.

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Beyond the Count

For more information, resources and lived experiences about Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP), visit ITPANZ.org.au.

📱 Follow us on social media:
Instagram: @ITP_ANZ
Facebook: facebook.com/ITPANZ
LinkedIn: ITP Australia & New Zealand
YouTube: @ITPANZ

🎧 Subscribe to Beyond the Count on your preferred podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Do you have feedback or a story to share? We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch at info@itpaustralia.org.au

When a toddler is diagnosed with Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP), everyday bumps and bruises can feel overwhelming.

In this episode of Beyond the Count, host Danielle Boyle speaks with Associate Professor Dr Chris Barnes, Paediatric Haematologist at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne and Medical Advisor to ITP Australia and New Zealand.

Together, they explore how ITP presents in children under five, why spontaneous remission is common, and what parents should watch for when it comes to bleeding and head knocks.

The conversation also covers practical tips for balancing safety with letting kids be kids, preparing daycare and playgroup staff with the correct information, and knowing when to worry versus when to relax. This episode offers clarity, reassurance, and expert guidance to help families navigate the early months of ITP with confidence.

Support the show

Thanks for listening to Beyond the Count

For more information, resources and lived experiences about Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP), visit ITPANZ.org.au.

📱 Follow us on social media:
Instagram: @ITP_ANZ
Facebook: facebook.com/ITPANZ
LinkedIn: ITP Australia & New Zealand
YouTube: @ITPANZ

🎧 Subscribe to Beyond the Count on your preferred podcast platform so you never miss an episode.

Do you have feedback or a story to share? We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch at info@itpaustralia.org.au