RH disease

Rh Disease Rh disease is a blood disorder that affects over 4,000 babies in the United States every year. This disease affects newborns every year because of an incompatibility between the mother’s blood and her fetus during pregnancy. It causes severe destruction of the fetus’ red blood cells. This disease does not affect the mother’s health at all, but can result in the baby having yellow skin and eyes, anemia, brain damage, heart failure, …

…survive. This is the only way known so far to treat Rh disease before a baby is born. A blood transfusion can be done as early as the 18th week into pregnancy. This procedure is called cordocentesis. Cordocentesis is when the doctor threads a thin needle into a blood vessel in the umbilical cord of the fetus. The doctor then injects the blood transfusion, into the fetus, making the mother blood and fetuses blood compatible.