Question
What Causes Neonatal Hemolytic Disease?
Answer
Neonatal hemolytic disease is caused by a blood type incompatibility between the mother and the baby, leading to a type of immune hemolytic anemia. When the mother’s blood type is O and the father’s blood type is A, B, or AB, the child may experience hemolytic symptoms, known as ABO blood type incompatibility hemolytic disease. This condition depends on factors such as the amount of antibodies in the mother, the degree of binding between antibodies and fetal red blood cells, the strength of A or B antigens, and the fetal compensatory hematopoietic ability. Therefore, not all cases will present with hemolytic symptoms. Sometimes, symptoms may be mild and there is no need to worry excessively. Generally, ABO blood type incompatibility and Rh positive-negative blood type mismatches can lead to hemolytic disease. If the child exhibits related symptoms, it is recommended to seek proper treatment at a local hospital’s neonatal department.