Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn

Hemolytic disease of the newborn

Hemolytic disease of newborns is a serious disease of newborns that develops when the blood of mother and fetus is incompatible according to various blood group systems, most often according to the so-called Rh factor.

It has been established that most people's erythrocytes (red blood cells, or globules) contain a special substance - the Rh factor, which was first discovered in the blood of rhesus monkeys. Depending on the presence or absence of the Rh factor, blood is designated as Rh positive or Rh negative.

The disease develops in a child due to Rh incompatibility of the blood of the mother (Rh negative) and father (Rh positive). The fetal Rh factor crosses the placenta into the mother's bloodstream. The mother's body produces antibodies to the fetal Rh factor, which, when released back into the fetal blood, destroy its red blood cells with the development of anemia and the accumulation of bilirubin.

The disease often develops from the second and subsequent pregnancies, as well as if previous pregnancies were preceded by abortions.

There are three forms of the disease: general congenital fetal edema, neonatal jaundice and congenital anemia.

For treatment, replacement blood transfusion and phototherapy are used. Prevention consists of determining the Rh factor and blood type in pregnant women, monitoring women with Rh-negative blood, and timely treatment.