Erythroblastosis fetalis

Erythroblastosis fetalis

Erythroblastosis fetalis is the condition in which a pregnant women produces an antibody (IgG) to the red blood cells of the fetus she is carrying, which causes the destruction of her fetus' red blood cells. This condition is worse in successive at-risk pregnancies. The antigens could be Rh (most commonly RhD), Kell, Duffy, Lutheran, and Kidd. The mother whose pregnancy is at risk is negative for these antigens.
A type of anemia which can occur in newborns that have Rh+ blood and which are born to mothers with Rh- blood (see Rh factor). Symptoms include lots of erythroblast cells which are circulating in the blood instead of being within bone marrow, liver and spleen enlargement, and edema (tissue swelling due to excessive fluid).