However, treatment is usually effective and these problems are uncommon. In other cases, it could lead to brain damage, learning difficulties, hearing loss and blindness and vision loss. If rhesus disease is left untreated, severe cases can lead to stillbirth. Treatment for rhesus disease after delivery can include a light treatment called phototherapy, blood transfusions, and an injection of a solution of antibodies (intravenous immunoglobulin) to prevent red blood cells being destroyed. After delivery, the child is likely to be admitted to a neonatal unit (a hospital unit that specialises in caring for newborn babies).
In more severe cases, the unborn baby may need a blood transfusion. If an unborn baby does develop rhesus disease, treatment depends on how severe it is. The pregnancy will be monitored more closely than usual, as will the baby following birth. If a woman has developed anti-D antibodies in a previous pregnancy (she's already sensitised) then these immunoglobulin injections don't help. This helps to remove the RhD foetal blood cells before they can cause sensitisation. If the mother is RhD-negative, she'll be offered injections of anti-D at certain points in her pregnancy when she may be exposed to the baby's red blood cells. Rhesus disease is uncommon these days because it can usually be prevented using injections of a medication called anti-D immunoglobulin (anti-D).Īll women are offered blood tests as part of their antenatal checks, including tests to determine whether their blood is RhD-negative or positive. The antibodies can continue attacking the baby's red blood cells for a few months after birth. If she's pregnant with an RhD-positive baby, the antibodies can cross the placenta, causing rhesus disease in the unborn baby. If sensitisation occurs, the next time the woman is exposed to RhD-positive blood, her body produces antibodies immediately. The woman’s body responds to the RhD-positive blood by producing antibodies (molecules which fight infection) that recognise the foreign blood cells and destroy them. Sensitisation happens when a woman with RhD-negative blood is exposed to RhD-positive blood, usually during a previous pregnancy with an RhD-positive baby. The mother must have also been previously sensitised to RhD-positive blood. Rhesus disease happens when the mother has rhesus-negative (RhD-negative) blood and the baby in her womb has rhesus-positive (RhD-positive) blood. Rhesus disease doesn't harm the mother, but it can cause the baby to become anaemic and develop newborn jaundice.
It's also known as haemolytic disease of the foetus and newborn (HDFN). Rhesus disease is a condition where antibodies in a pregnant woman's blood destroy her baby's blood cells. During pregnancy, problems can occur if you are RhD-negative and your foetus is RhD-positive. We can give you treatment to prevent these problems. The "positive" or "negative" part of your blood type, such as O positive or A negative, refers to your RhD status. Which blood group causes problems in pregnancy?
0 kommentar(er)
