Hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn—a perspective of immunohematology

Abstract

Background: Hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn is a public health problem caused by maternal-fetal incompatibility; no prophylaxis is available for most alloantibodies that induce this disease. This study reviews the literature regarding which antibodies are the most common in maternal plasma and which were involved in hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. Method: Seventy-five studies were included in this review using a systematic search. Two independent authors identified studies of interest from the PubMed and SciELO databases. Main results: Forty-four case reports were identified, of which 11 babies evolved to death. From 17 prevalence studies, the alloimmunization rate was 0.17 % with 161 babies receiving intrauterine transfusions and 23 receiving transfusions after birth. From 28 studies with alloimmunized pregnant women (7616 women), 455 babies received intrauterine transfusions and 21 received transfusions after birth. Conclusion: Rh, Kell, and MNS were the commonest blood systems involved. The geographical distribution of studies shows that as these figures vary between continents, more studies should be performed in different countries. Investing in early diagnosis is important to manage the risks and complications of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn.

Keywords

• Hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn
• Alloimmunization
• Immunohematology