This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Treatment

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Preventative measures for Rhesus disease of the newborn was initiated in 1970. 500IU of anti-D Rh gammaglobulin is administered to each Rhesus negative non-sensitized woman who delivers a rhesus positive child, has an abortion, an amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling, or external cephalic version

  • removes fetal cells before they can sensitize.
  • administration can be titrated to need by measuring the amniotic fluid optical density at 450nm, the wavelength of bile pigment produced by haemolysis.
  • alternatively, cordocentesis to measure fetal haemoglobin levels is carried out in some centres. These techniques reduced the incidence of Rhesus haemolytic disease, from 0.52 stillbirths per 1000 total births in 1968 but only 0.16 per 1000 in 1975.

After birth, depending on the severity of the disease, the neonate might undergo phototherapy, exchange transfusion, or drugs to counter cardiac failure such as diuretics.

There is some controversy as to the amount of expensive anti-D immunoglobulin that should be administered. The 500IU U.K. dose only eliminates 4mls of Rh D positive cells. This suffices for 99.3% of 'at risk' pregnancies. Doses of 1,000 to 1,500 IU are used in other parts of Europe from paid donors (1)

Reference:

  • Letsky, E., deSilva, M. (1994). Preventing Rh immunisation. BMJ; 309: 213-214.

Create an account to add page annotations

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.