title: Fetomaternal hemorrhage in women undergoing elective cesarean section.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the degree of fetomaternal hemorrhage (FMH) caused by elective cesarean section.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University Hospitals in Copenhagen, Denmark.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women scheduled for elective cesarean section, in the period September 2007 to January 2009, at the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two maternal blood samples were taken, the first before cesarean section and the second immediately after. Both samples were analyzed at the Blood Bank, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, for the presence of fetal red blood cells (fRBCs) using flow cytometry. FMH associated with cesarean section was defined as the difference between the volumes of fRBCs in the two samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  The frequency and volume of FMH caused by elective cesarean section.
  
  
  RESULTS
  207 women were included in the study. FMH was detected in 38 cases (18.4%). Of these, 22 women (10.6%) had FMH of less than 1 ml fRBCs, 13 women (6.3%) had FMH between 1 and 4 ml fRBCs, and three women (1.4%) had FMH above 4 ml fRBCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found no evidence for recommending general screening for FMH in connection with elective cesarean section, provided guidelines such as the current Danish guidelines for Rhesus prophylaxis are followed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hvidovre Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. perslev@swim.dk
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Perslev
authors.forename: Finn Stener
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
authors.forename: Leif Kofoed
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Adela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berkowicz
authors.forename: Morten Hanefeld
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Dziegiel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015984:Causality; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005331:Fetomaternal Transfusion / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007744:Obstetric Labor Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult