Rh immunization in Manitoba: progress in prevention and management.
For two decades the perinatal mortality caused by erythroblastosis has been decreasing in Manitoba. The improved management of Rh-immunized pregnancies has lowered the death rate among affected infants from 10.8% to 3.4%, while the prevention of Rh immunization has reduced its incidence from 9.1 to 2.2 per 1000 total births. In its first 6 years and 8 months Manitoba's antenatal prophylaxis program, in which immunoglobulin is administered to Rh-negative women at 28 weeks' gestation, reduced the incidence of Rh immunization during pregnancy by 93%. In combination with post-abortion and postpartum prophylaxis the antenatal treatment has provided a protection rate of 98.6% among primigravidas at risk. Further improvements are expected.
D004899:Erythroblastosis, Fetal / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008350:Manitoba; D011247:Pregnancy; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology*
D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System