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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.

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.

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.

Outdated misconceptions about alloimmunization are abundant.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 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.

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….

Autologous blood donation, bronze baby syndrome, chelation therapy, cholestasis, cord blood testing, delayed onset anemia, DAT exceptions, and more.

There are many antibodies that are capable of causing HDFN. While the majority of these antibodies act in similar ways, there are unique aspects to each specific antibody, and they can have an impact on the clinical manifestation of HDFN and the child’s treatment plan. For example, anti-Kell is known to suppress the bone marrow leading to hyporegenerative anemia.

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.