Question
What causes neonatal hemolytic disease?
Answer
Rh incompatibility leads to a relatively low incidence of neonatal hemolytic disease in our country. It usually occurs when the mother is Rh-negative and the fetus is Rh-positive, resulting in incompatible blood types and hemolysis. Generally, the first child does not develop the disease, but it may occur from the second child onwards. However, if the Rh-negative mother has had surgery involving Rh-positive individuals before the first child, the first child may also develop the disease. ABO incompatibility is the most common in this disease, with the most common scenario being the mother being type O, while the fetus (or infant) is type A or B.