Rh disease

Rh disease
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-Rh_o(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-Rh_o(D) immune globulin (Rhoclone, Rhogam, AntiD). With successful mitigation of this disease by prevention through the use of anti-Rh_o(D) immune globulin, other antibodies are more commonly the cause of HDFN today.