“May all be happy, may all be healed, may all be at peace and may no one ever suffer."
Rhesus disease, also known as hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN), is a condition that occurs when there is a mismatch between the blood types of a pregnant woman and her developing fetus. This can happen if the mother is Rh-negative (lacks a protein called Rh factor on her red blood cells) and the fetus is Rh-positive (has the protein on its red blood cells), which can cause the mother's immune system to produce antibodies against the fetal blood cells.
Rhesus disease can cause severe anemia, jaundice, and other complications in the newborn, including brain damage and even death. The severity of the disease depends on the level of antibodies present in the mother's blood and the degree of blood type mismatch between the mother and fetus.
To prevent Rhesus disease, a Rh-negative mother may be given a medication called Rh immunoglobulin (RhIg) during pregnancy and after delivery. RhIg can prevent the mother's immune system from producing antibodies against the fetus's Rh-positive blood cells, and can greatly reduce the risk of Rhesus disease in future pregnancies.