Question

A group A Rh negative weak D negative mother with an anti-D titered at 1024 gave birth to a baby with the following laboratory results: – Baby blood type is group A Rh negative – DAT 4+ with polyspecific and monospecific IgG – Bilirubin 18.5 mg/dL (0.2-1.0). What is the MOST likely cause of this problem?

A. Rh HDN

B. ABO HDN

C. Another type of HDN

Answer 1

The most likely cause of the must be due to another type of HDN(Hemolytic death of newborn).

HDN is usually caused due to incompatibility of the blood group of the mother and the fetus. Rh D HDN occurs when the mother is Rh-negative and had an Rh-positive child or blood transfusion that causes sensitisation (production of anti-D). When the second child is Rh-positive, the anti-D in the mother's blood attacks the D antigen present on the RBC of the fetus. This causes an elevated level of bilirubin in the baby's blood as an indicator of HDN. but since the baby is Rh-negative, this is not the cause for Rh Hdn.

Similarly, since the mother and the baby have the same blood group (group a), the cause of HDN is not ABO HDN.

Therefore, the answer must be "Another type of HDN".