Patient's question:
Doctor, what is the impact of hemolytic disease of the newborn on the child's growth? The child has been in this condition for some time, and I dare not give them medication. Please give some advice.Doctor's answer:
Hemolytic disease of the newborn refers to immune hemolysis caused by incompatibility between the blood types of the mother and the infant. In China, the majority of cases involve ABO blood type incompatibility, while Rh incompatibility is less common, and other blood type systems such as MN and Kell are rare. The severity of symptoms varies greatly in this condition, with ABO incompatibility generally causing milder symptoms compared to Rh incompatibility. Infants often develop jaundice within 24 hours of birth or the next day, which rapidly worsens. As jaundice deepens, anemia, hepatosplenomegaly may occur, and severe cases can lead to bilirubin encephalopathy. In cases of severe hemolysis due to Rh incompatibility, infants are born with severe anemia, which can result in heart failure, generalized edema, and even stillbirth.