Question

What is neonatal hemolytic disease? What is viral blood infection?

Answer

Neonatal hemolytic disease refers to hemolysis caused by incompatibility between the mother and baby’s blood types, primarily manifested as neonatal jaundice. In China, the most common type of neonatal hemolytic disease is ABO incompatibility, where the mother is O-type and the child is A or B-type. Rh hemolytic disease is less common, with most mothers being Rh-negative and the child being Rh-positive. Typically, ABO hemolytic disease occurs more frequently in the first child, while Rh hemolytic disease tends to occur after the second child. The main symptom of neonatal hemolytic disease is jaundice, with other possible symptoms including anemia and enlargement of the liver and spleen. Rh hemolytic disease usually presents with jaundice within 24 hours of birth and gradually worsens. The symptoms of ABO hemolytic disease are generally milder than those of Rh hemolytic disease. The most severe situation with neonatal hemolytic disease is that if jaundice progresses, it may lead to bilirubin encephalopathy, which can cause rapid death in infants if not treated promptly. Even if they survive, they often have varying degrees of sequelae. Viruses are infectious microorganisms smaller than bacteria and fungi, which rely on living cells for replication. Viruses first attach to a specific type of living cell, then enter the cell. They release their own deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid (RNA), which contain genetic information for replicating new virus particles.