Patient's question:
I heard about the disease called hemolytic disease of the newborn before, and now I'm pregnant as well. I'm worried that my child might get it. I'd like to understand what exactly hemolytic disease of the newborn means.Doctor's answer:
Hemolysis in newborns is caused by the blood type between the mother and the fetus. The mother's blood produces antibodies that do not match the fetal blood type antigens, which enter the fetus through the placenta, causing symptoms of homologous immune hemolysis. The Rh blood group system and the ABO blood group system are different from common blood types. Other causes of neonatal hemolysis include red blood cell enzyme or red blood cell membrane defects, all of which have specific names. Only hemolysis caused by blood type incompatibility is called neonatal hemolysis disease.