When is the time for pregnancy hemolysis test

Hemolysis test is a special test item designed to avoid the occurrence of neonatal hemolytic disease. Our blood types are divided into two categories: ABO blood type and Rh blood type. If the pregnant woman's blood type is O type and her husband's blood type is not O type, then the baby may have symptoms of hemolysis. Fortunately, not all pregnant women with O type blood will have hemolytic disease in their babies. The probability is still relatively low.

Check time

1. ABO hemolysis test is usually done when the pregnancy is three months old. If the values ​​are normal, there is no need to check again.

2. The RH type hemolysis test is more complicated, but the test time is also around three months of pregnancy. However, this situation requires several more tests in the later stage to be confirmed.

3. Women with RH type O blood are most likely to cause neonatal hemolysis, so blood tests should be done every month after three months of pregnancy. Pregnant women should have blood drawn at 4 months of pregnancy to measure the blood type antibodies in the serum to understand the basic level of antibodies; then the test should be repeated at 7 to 8 months of pregnancy, and repeated every 2 to 4 weeks thereafter. If the antibody level continues to rise, it indicates that the fetus may be affected.

The dangers of hemolysis

1. Jaundice appears within 24 hours after birth and rapidly worsens.

2. Severe jaundice develops from the face, neck, sclera to the trunk, limbs, and palms and soles.

3. The skin gradually changes from light yellow to golden yellow. When accompanied by anemia, it may become pale yellow and edema may occur.

4. Laboratory tests showed symptoms of jaundice and hemolytic anemia: significantly increased indirect bilirubin, low hemoglobin, increased reticulocytes; and incompatibility of blood types between mother and child.

5. Confirmation also requires some special tests on the blood of the mother and child, such as the mother-child cross-immunity test (Comb test).

Check the prerequisites

If the mother has type O blood and the father has type A, B, or AB blood, an ABO hemolytic test should be done. Because type A has A antigen on the red blood cells, type B has B antigen, type AB has both A and B antigens, and type O has no antigens. Blood type is inherited and is determined by the genes from both the mother and the father. When the mother's blood type is O and the child's blood type is A or B, and hemolysis occurs, it is called ABO hemolysis. When the mother has Rh-negative blood and the father does not have negative blood, a hemolysis test is also required during pregnancy.