Title: Blood type incompatibility | Children's Wisconsin
Headings: Blood type incompatibility
Blood type incompatibility
What is blood type incompatibility?
What causes blood type incompatibility?
Prenatal diagnosis of blood type incompatibility
Specialists you will work with
How does blood type incompatibility affect my baby?
Does my baby need a special hospital?
How does blood type incompatibility affect my pregnancy?
How do you treat blood type incompatibility?
Will I be able to help care for my baby?
When can my baby go home?
What’s my baby’s long-term prognosis?
What about future pregnancies?
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Content: This can happen if the baby’s blood crosses the placenta or during certain invasive prenatal tests, trauma, birth or other situations. Although sensitization is not a common issue in first pregnancies, it can cause complications with future pregnancies. Prenatal diagnosis of blood type incompatibility
Early identification of antibodies is important, and all pregnant women receive a blood test early in their pregnancy. If antibodies are present, then prenatal diagnostic procedures may include: ultrasound to evaluate blood flow in the baby’s brain, which can be used to detect early anemia before evidence of hydrops
ultrasound to detect organ enlargement or fluid buildup in the baby
blood tests to monitor the levels of the mother’s antibodies to determine the baby’s risk of anemia
sampling of blood from the fetal umbilical cord to check for anemia
Specialists you will work with
In addition to your regular OB, a maternal fetal medicine specialist will help monitor and manage any issues related to blood type incompatibility during your pregnancy. If your baby requires special care after birth, your care team may include a neonatologist in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). How does blood type incompatibility affect my baby? As the mother’s antibodies destroy the baby’s red blood cells, the baby can become anemic. The anemia can cause other complications, including: jaundice — yellowing of the skin, eyes and mucous membranes
enlargement of the liver and spleen
hydrops fetalis — this occurs when the baby’s organs are unable to handle the anemia.