Erythroblastosis fetalis

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Erythroblastosis fetalis occurs in the case of an Rh-positive baby and an Rh-negative mother. This happens when the baby's Rh factor is positive, inherited from the father, and the mother is Rh-negative. During pregnancy or delivery, some of the baby's blood can mix with the mother's blood, causing the mother's immune system to produce antibodies against the Rh factor. In subsequent pregnancies, if the baby is Rh-positive again, these antibodies can cross the placenta and attack the baby's red blood cells, leading to hemolytic anemia (erythroblastosis fetalis). It is rare for erythroblastosis fetalis to occur in a mother's first-born baby. If the mother is Rh-positive and the baby is Rh-negative, there is no risk of erythroblastosis fetalis because the mother's immune system does not react to Rh-negative blood.

Erythroblastosis Fetalis