What is Neonatal Hemolytic Disease?

Question

Neonatal hemolytic disease refers to an autoimmune hemolytic disease caused by blood type incompatibility between the mother and child. Among the 26 known blood groups, ABO incompatibility is the most common, followed by Rh incompatibility, which leads to alloimmune hemolytic disease. Common blood type incompatibilities include those in the Rh and ABO blood group systems. Other causes of hemolysis during the neonatal period, such as deficiencies in red cell enzymes or red cell membranes, have specific names, but only hemolysis caused by blood type incompatibility is referred to as neonatal hemolytic disease.

Answer

Neonatal hemolytic disease refers to an autoimmune hemolytic disease caused by blood type incompatibility between the mother and child. Among the 26 known blood groups, ABO incompatibility is the most common, followed by Rh incompatibility, which leads to alloimmune hemolytic disease. Common blood type incompatibilities include those in the Rh and ABO blood group systems. Other causes of hemolysis during the neonatal period, such as deficiencies in red cell enzymes or red cell membranes, have specific names, but only hemolysis caused by blood type incompatibility is referred to as neonatal hemolytic disease.