This is a situation in which a newborn’s red blood cells are destroyed because the mother’s and the baby’s blood groups are incompatible. During pregnancy and mainly during delivery some red blood cells from the foetus cross the placenta and enter the mother’s bloodstream. If the mother is Rhesus negative and the foetus is Rhesus positive, the mother will produce antibodies (immunity) which recognise the foetal red blood cells as foreign. During a first pregnancy there is little chance that this will become a problem. However, in a subsequent pregnancy the mother’s immune response is more vigorous and her antibodies cross the placenta and attack the foetus red blood cells. This can lead to problems of anaemia and oedema (fluid overload) while the baby is still in the womb, and to severe jaundice of the baby after birth (due to the release of a substance called bilirubin from the damaged red blood cells).
To prevent problems resulting from Rheus incompatibility, Rheus negative mothers are given a substance called anti-D immediately after delivery. This destroys any Rhesus positive cells from the foetus which are present in the mother’s bloodstream, preventing the mother from mounting an immune response. Because antibodies do not develop a subsequent pregnancy is problem free.
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