Fetal-Maternal Hemorrhage: A Case and Literature Review

Abstract

Nearly all pregnancies include an insignificant hemorrhage of fetal blood into the maternal circulation. In some cases, the hemorrhage is large enough to compromise the fetus, resulting in fetal demise, stillbirth, or delivery of a severely anemic infant. Unfortunately, the symptoms of a significant fetal-maternal hemorrhage can be subtle, nonspecific, and difficult to identify at the time of the event. We present the case of a severely anemic newborn who was delivered in our facility with an extensive literature review.

Integration of Fetal Middle Cerebral Arterial (MCA) Ultrasonography in Acute Fetal-Maternal Hemorrhage

“…Current Rhogam® administration protects against alloimmunization from up to 30 mL of fetal blood. Thus some have used the need for Rhogam administration due to fetal-maternal blood exchange as a definition for FMH [3].…”

Fetal Hemoglobin Levels as Indicator of Frequency and Duration of Blood Donation

“…Unfortunately, a comparable amount of it in sickle cell anemia is confined to a few red cells (normal red cells) and therefore cannot prevent sickling. Presently, measurement of HbF level in adults is used as diagnostic tool in few cases: (a) detection of fetal cells in maternal circulation as an important support for the clinical diagnosis of feto-maternal hemorrhagea potentially life-threatening obstetric complication, (b) persistence of high level in blood as an assistance in the diagnosis of hemoglobinopathies, especially sickle cell disease and (c) its increase in blood as assistance in evaluating recovery from hematopoietic cells transplantation (Trent, 2005;Solomonia et al, 2012).…”