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Anti‐U and haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn
Author(s) -
Smith G.,
Knott P.,
Rissik J.,
Fuente J.,
Win N.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1998.tb10013.x
Subject(s) - haemolysis , fetus , haemolytic disease , amniocentesis , medicine , gestation , obstetrics , disease , pregnancy , hemolysis , immunology , prenatal diagnosis , biology , genetics
The red cell alloantibody, anti‐U, is uncommon but is a recognised cause of haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. We describe six pregnancies complicated by the presence of maternal anti‐U, and review nine other well‐documented cases. In these 15 cases severe haemolytic disease occurred only with titres of ≥ 1/512, and titres as high as 1/4000 were not necessarily associated with significant haemolysis. We recommend that an anti‐U titre of ≥ 1/128 or more at ≥ 17 weeks of gestation is an indication for assessment of haemolysis in the fetus. Amniocentesis is the preferred initial investigation.