Patient's question:
Hello, baby. Dad is type O blood and Mom is AB type blood. Will the baby definitely get hemolytic disease?Doctor's answer:
When the mother has blood type O and the child has blood type A or B, leading to hemolysis, it is called ABO hemolysis; when the mother is Rh-negative and the child is Rh-positive, causing hemolysis, it is called Rh hemolytic disease. Pregnant women with blood type O undergo antibody titer testing. The testing time is: first at 16 weeks of pregnancy, second at 28-30 weeks of pregnancy, and then every 2-4 weeks for follow-up. More than half of these pregnant women with this blood type develop antibodies after 28 weeks. When the antibody titer is >1:128, it is a warning sign of possible hemolysis. Additionally, ultrasound can also help detect fetal hemolysis. If the fetus shows skin edema, pleural and abdominal effusions, hepatosplenomegaly, or an enlarged placenta, it should be considered whether there may be a possible ABO incompatibility between the mother and fetus. Of course, mothers with blood type O should not be too anxious, as not all babies of mothers with blood type O will hemolyze, and ABO hemolysis is generally mild. Careful observation of the onset of jaundice after delivery, early diagnosis and treatment, and a good prognosis are all quite favorable.