Patient's question:
Recently, while researching, I came across a disease called hemolytic disease of the newborn, which is very frightening. I'm worried that my baby might also have this disease. What is hemolytic disease of the newborn?Doctor's answer:
Hemolytic disease of the newborn refers to autoimmune hemolysis caused by incompatibility between maternal and fetal blood types. Among the 26 discovered blood group systems, ABO incompatibility is the most common, followed by Rh incompatibility, which leads to alloimmune hemolysis, particularly involving common Rh and ABO blood group incompatibilities. Other causes of hemolysis during the neonatal period, such as defects in red blood cell enzymes or red blood cell membranes, have specific names. Only hemolysis caused by blood group incompatibility is referred to as hemolytic disease of the newborn.