Instructions
Assignment – Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn

Introduction:

Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) – also called erythroblastosis fetalis – is a blood disorder that occurs when the blood types of a mother and baby are incompatible. HDN is relatively uncommon in the United States due to advances in early detection and treatment, limiting it to approximately 4,000 cases a year. It is more likely to happen during a mother’s second or subsequent pregnancy. There are two causes, Rh incompatibility and ABO incompatibility. HDN is due to Rh incompatibility occurs more frequently and is often called Rh disease; it is about three times more likely in Caucasian babies than in African-American babies. HDN can be treated during pregnancy or after the baby is born. 1

Objectives:

Define placenta and state its role in pregnancy.
Explain Rh grouping using the terms antigen and antibody.
State the role of the lymphocytes in Rh incompatibility.
Define crossmatch. Using Rh incompatibility as an example of crossmatch, explain the signs of incompatibility in crossmatching.
Briefly discuss hemolytic anemia and its effects on the body.