| Rh disease | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Rhesus isoimmunization, Rh (D) disease, rhesus incompatibility |
| Specialty | Paediatrics, haematology, transfusion medicine |
| Causes | Incompatibility between mother antibodies and fetal Rhesus factor |
| Diagnostic method | Blood compatibility testing, sonography, physical assessment |
| Prevention | Administration of antibody therapy to the mother |
| Treatment | Prophylactic antibody therapy, intrauterine transfusion |
| Medication | Rho(D) immune globulin |
| Frequency | Of maternal-fetal blood incompatibilities: 16% without antibody therapy, 0.1% with therapy |
Rh disease (also known as rhesus isoimmunization, Rh (D) disease, or rhesus incompatibility, and blue baby disease) is a type of hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN). HDFN due to anti-D antibodies is the proper and currently used name for this disease as the Rh blood group system actually has more than 50 antigens and not only the D-antigen. The term "Rh Disease" is commonly used to refer to HDFN due to anti-D antibodies, and prior to the discovery of anti-Rho(D) immune globulin, it was the most common type of HDFN. The disease ranges from mild to severe, and occurs in the second or subsequent pregnancies of Rh-D negative women when the biologic father is Rh-D positive.
Due to several advances in modern medicine, HDFN due to anti-D is preventable by treating the mother during pregnancy and soon after delivery with an injection of anti-Rho(D) immune globulin (Rhoclone, Rhogam, AntiD). With successful mitigation of this disease by prevention through the use of anti-Rho(D) immune globulin, other antibodies are more commonly the cause of HDFN today.