Resource Library

The Prenatal Decision Tree can be used as a step by step guide through the proper course of prenatal care for alloimmunized patients according to current medical literature. If your care plan differs from this, discuss it with your physicians and seek a second opinion if needed. For additional references and a more in-depth explanation of the information in this tree, please see our Providers page.

A history of alloimmunization from the 1600s to present. Discover the advances in testing, treatment, and outcomes for patients with Hemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn (HDFN) over the past 400 years.

There are a variety of laboratory tests that should be offered to the alloimmunized patient. It is important to test both the mother and the father during an alloimmunized pregnancy. By testing both parents, it is possible to get a more accurate view of the risk of HDFN.

There are a variety of laboratory tests that are necessary for infants born to alloimmunized mothers. It is important to confirm or rule out the presence of HDFN. Infants who are affected by HDFN require weekly follow up lab assessment for hemoglobin/hematocrit until ~12 weeks of age or until weekly counts are rising for 2-3 consecutive weeks.

This page is all about medical alert cards and how they can help prevent a serious and sometimes fatal side effect of alloimmunization: hemolytic transfusion reactions (HTRs). If a patient with alloantibodies receives blood that is not matched to his/her antibody status, the transfused blood cells are destroyed by the patient’s immune system. HTRs can result in a variety of problems, including: a systemic inflammatory response, low blood pressure, kidney failure, and even death. Alloantibodies are the second leading cause of fatal HTRs. A review of current literature shows that hemolytic transfusion reactions are still a problem for alloimmunized patients today and that the risks can be prevented by a medical alert card. Patients can create their own custom cards here.

cffDNA testing is the safest option for determining if a fetus is antigen positive and at risk for HDFN. Women from around the world can have their blood drawn and shipped off to have the test done. Here is more information about cffDNA testing and the necessary forms for testing.

Outdated misconceptions about alloimmunization are abundant. In fact, multiple patients report being told one of these common alloimmunization misconceptions: a first sensitized pregnancy won’t be affected, if titers are low the infant will not be affected by HDFN, an alloimmunized woman cannot have more biological children, or an anemic infant with HDFN needs iron. Can you guess which of these statements are misconceptions and which are true?

A diagnosis of maternal alloimmunization does not have to determine your family size. In addition to adoption and foster care, there are many alternatives to natural conception. There are four main alternatives to natural conception: sperm donation, surrogacy, in vitro fertilization with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (IVF with PGD), and embryo adoption.

This list shows commonly used medications for intrauterine transfusions (IUT), a brief reasoning for use, and common dosages. This is not intended to be a list of the only medications available or a list of must-use medications. Providers must determine which medications are used when. Copied with permission from Intrauterine Fetal Transfusion of Red Cells….