Hemolytic disease

Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn
What is hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN)?

Hemolytic disease of the newborn
Condition in which mother and baby have different blood types. A woman who has a different blood type than her fetus may occasionally produce antibodies against the fetus' blood cells.

Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) secondary to anti-D has dramatically declined with the widespread prophylactic use of anti-D antibody preparation. Consequently, HDN attributed to other blood groups has become relatively more significant.

Hemolytic Disease
There are about 5,000 cases of hemolytic disease that will occur each year. A mother who is Rh sensitized will be screened throughout her pregnancy to see if the baby has hemolytic disease.

Hemolytic disease: Destruction of red blood cells.
Hemorrhoids: Dilated blood vessels in the rectum or rectal canal.
Human chorionic gonadatropin (HCG): Hormone produced in early pregnancy.Measured in a pregnancy test.

Hemolytic disease of the newborn (destruction of the red blood cells) can occur when Rh incompatibility exists between child and mother.

Hemolytic Disease (Neonatal) - A condition resulting from an incompatibility of fetal and maternal red blood cell groups in which fetal red blood cells are destroyed by maternal antibodies. The condition is usually caused by Rh factor compatibility.

Severe hemolytic disease of fetus and newborn caused by red blood cell antibodies undetected at first-trimester screening.
Transfusion. [Abstract] [Full-text] ...

Moise KJ (2009). Hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. In RK Creasy, R Resnik, eds., Creasy and Resnik's Maternal-Fetal Medicine, 6th ed., pp. 477-503. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.
By:
Healthwise Staff ...

Moise KJ (2004). Hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. In RK Creasy, R Resnik, eds., Maternal-Fetal Medicine: Principles and Practice, 5th ed., pp. 537-561. Philadelphia: Saunders.
Author
Kathe Gallagher, MSW ...

Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn
Hearing Loss in Babies
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Hyaline Membrane Disease / Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Hemorrhagic Disease of the Newborn (Vitamin K Deficiency)
Hypospadias
Hydrops Fetalis ...

VITAMIN K: Necessary for bone metabolism, vitamin K (required by law in most states) is given to newborns in the hospital by injection in the foot immediately after birth, or a shot is given during labor, to prevent hemolytic disease in the newborn, ...

Anti-Fya antibody is capable of crossing the placenta and causing SEVERE anemia in the fetus and hemolytic disease of the newborn. Anti-Fyb has not been reported to cause significant hemolytic disease of the newborn.
Anti-Kell antibody ...

When this happens the antibodies break down the fetus's red blood cells and produce anemia (the blood has a low number of red blood cells). This condition is called hemolytic disease or hemolytic anemia.

Among the early blood tests a pregnant woman must endure is the Rh, or Rhesus, factor test which is a test to see if the woman is Rh Negative or Rh Positive, which can be an indicator of hemolytic disease.

You could make antibodies that circulate inside your system that don't harm you, but attack the blood of your RH positive baby. This can cause hemolytic disease of the newborn. It can also make your baby very anemic before birth.

See also: Newborn, Pregnancy, Infection, Fetus, Jaundice