Questions
What situations can lead to neonatal ABO hemolytic disease?
A mother with AB blood type is pregnant with a father who has B blood type, and the child is also B type. If the mother has had an abortion, inquire about the risk of ABO hemolytic disease for the child. Additionally, ask about the procedure for performing the Coombs test.
Can neonatal ABO hemolytic disease still occur when the father’s blood type is unknown?
Inquire about the possibility of neonatal ABO hemolytic disease when the father’s blood type is unknown.
Will not having a blood type test for the child after birth affect the diagnosis of neonatal ABO hemolytic disease?
Inquire whether not having a blood type test for the child after birth will affect the diagnosis of neonatal ABO hemolytic disease.
Answers
Causes and Diagnostic Methods of Neonatal ABO Hemolytic Disease
When the mother’s blood type is AB and the father’s blood type antigen is different, it can stimulate the mother to produce corresponding antibodies. These antibodies may pass through the placenta into the fetus, causing antigen-antibody reactions with the fetus’s red blood cells, leading to hemolysis. The diagnosis of ABO hemolytic disease is usually carried out through a Coombs test, which is a test to check for abnormal antibodies on the surface of red blood cells.
Situations with Unknown Father’s Blood Type
Even if the father’s blood type is unknown, if the mother is AB blood type, there is still a possibility that the child may have ABO hemolytic disease because there may be antibodies against A or B antigens in the mother’s body.
Impact of Not Having a Blood Type Test
Not having a blood type test for the child after birth may affect the early diagnosis of ABO hemolytic disease.