How is Neonatal Hemolytic Disease Diagnosed?

Question

My baby was diagnosed with neonatal hemolytic disease after birth and has been admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. How is hemolytic disease diagnosed? Is this disease serious? Is it easy to treat? How should it be treated?

Answer

Pregnant women and those with a history of adverse deliveries or severe jaundice in previous pregnancies should have their blood types, ABO and RH, checked together with their husbands. Incompatible blood types can be further tested for related antibodies. In cases of maternal-fetal blood type incompatibility, timely monitoring of bilirubin levels is important, such as early onset of neonatal jaundice, progression of the condition, rapid decrease in hemoglobin or red blood cell hematocrit, positive Coombs test and/or antibody release test can confirm the diagnosis.