Erythroblastosis fetalis, also known as Rh Disease or Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn, occurs when there is blood incompatibilities between the pregnant woman and her unborn baby. While it occurs in ABO incompatibility, it most often has to do with the Rhesus (Rh) factor in the blood. If a mother is Rh-negative and the fetus is Rh-positive, the mother's body will make antibodies that will work to attack the fetus's red blood cells. Also, the fetus will make an excessive amount of red blood cells to make up for the loss of the red blood cells that the mother's antibodies are attacking. For the most part, the red blood cells are immature and the excess of them causes many devastating problems, if not found through prenatal testing.
If a woman chooses to have prenatal care throughout her pregnancy, there is a simple blood test that can tell if a woman is Rh-negative or Rh-positive. Another blood test is called a Coombs Test. A Coombs Test that comes back with abnormal results leads to the diagnosis of erythroblastosis fetalis and further diagnostic testing should be conducted. Further diagnostic tests include ultrasound and amniocentesis which allow visualization of the baby's organs and the amount of bilirubin in the blood.
Erythroblastosis fetalis is a severe, but preventable disease. With proper prenatal care throughout a woman's pregnancy, the mother and the baby can be saved of any problems later on after birth. Without treatment the hemolytic disease can cause many problems for the baby such as; kernicterus, anemia, hydrops fetalis (organs begin to fail), hyperbilirubinemia, jaundice, pallor, and swelling of the liver and the spleen. Respiratory difficulties are also a concern with this disease. The treatment usually consists of blood transfusions, either intrauterine or after the delivery of the newborn. Other treatments also include I.V. fluids to help with low blood pressure, oxygen for respiratory difficulties, and exchange transfusions.
In 1939, two scientist discovered an unknown element in the blood of teh Rhesus monkey. Thus the name, Rh factor. The RH factor is the antigen or protein attached to the Red Blood Cell. Rh is the protein substance present in the cells of most people, capable of inducing intense antigenic reaction...
