Patient's question:
How is hemolytic disease of the newborn treated?Doctor's answer:
The focus of newborn treatment at birth is to prevent anemia and heart failure. For infants with anemia, generalized edema, and ascites, after draining 30-50ml of ascites from the umbilical vein, concentrated blood should be immediately transfused. The focus from days 2 to 7 after birth is to prevent jaundice and bilirubin encephalopathy. Within the first 2 months, severe anemia should be monitored.For jaundice and hyperbilirubinemia, phototherapy and Chinese and Western medications can alleviate most cases. However, removing antibodies as soon as possible, reducing continued red blood cell destruction, lowering bilirubin levels, correcting anemia, improving hypoxia, and preventing heart failure still require blood exchange. Blood exchange is more effective than phototherapy or medication, but it requires more manpower and resources, carries risks such as thrombosis, air embolism, cardiac arrest, and infection. Therefore, the indications for blood exchange must be strictly controlled.