Question
A newborn develops jaundice after birth and it recurs after treatment with jaundice-reducing drugs. The test results show neonatal hemolytic positivity, indicating neonatal hemolytic jaundice. What exactly is neonatal hemolytic positivity? How severe is this condition?
Answer
Neonatal hemolytic diseases occur due to incompatibility between the mother and baby’s blood types, where the mother’s blood type antibodies are incompatible with the fetus’s blood type antigens, leading to antibodies passing through the placenta into the fetus’s body and causing immune hemolysis. This is commonly seen in incompatibilities within the ABO blood system, with some cases involving Rh blood system incompatibility. This condition can lead to hemolytic jaundice, and in severe cases, may cause acute bilirubin encephalopathy, forming kernicterus, posing a threat to the newborn’s life. Treatment methods include phototherapy and blood transfusions.