Patient's question:
My child was born not long ago, but their whole body is very yellow and the jaundice hasn't subsided. The check-up revealed high jaundice levels, and the doctor said it was caused by neonatal hemolysis. I don't know what neonatal hemolysis is, and I'm quite anxious and worried. I also don't understand what hemolysis is, so I'm coming to consult about the specific details of hemolysis.What kind of help do I need: What does hemolysis mean?
Doctor's answer:
Hemolytic red blood cells rupture, releasing hemoglobin, which is called red blood cell dissolution, or simply hemolysis. Neonatal hemolytic disease refers to the neonatal alloimmune hemolysis caused by blood type incompatibility between the mother and the infant. It is characterized by skin jaundice, and severe cases may exhibit obvious edema and anemia at birth. If the mother is blood type O and the father is blood type A, B, or AB, the child may develop hemolysis, which is ABO blood type incompatibility hemolysis. This phenomenon is related to the amount of antibodies in the mother, the degree of binding between the antibodies and the fetal red blood cells, the strength of the A or B antigens, and the compensatory hematopoietic ability of the fetus. Therefore, not all cases will necessarily result in hemolysis. It may also be mild, so there is no need to worry too much. In general, it is caused by ABO blood type incompatibility and Rh blood type incompatibility. If the child exhibits the aforementioned symptoms, it is recommended to seek active and proper treatment at the local hospital's neonatal department.