title: Transfusion medicine and the pregnant patient.
abstract: Alloimmunity in pregnancy is the basis for two of the major complications of pregnancy in transfusion medicine: hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN), and fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT). Use of Rh(D) immune globulin has dramatically reduced the incidence of HDFN in Rh(D)-mismatched pregnancies. Treatment of HDFN may involve intrauterine transfusion, with fetal and neonatal survival rates of 70% to 90%. Treatments for FNAIT include immune globulin, steroids, or in severe cases, intrauterine platelet transfusions. Transfusion medicine is central to the management of pregnancy-associated complications such as postpartum hemorrhage, parvovirus B19 infection, hemoglobinopathies, and aplastic anemia.
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
authors: Alfred Ian
authors: AI
authors: Lee
authors: Richard M
authors: RM
authors: Kaufman
mesh_terms: D001803:Blood Transfusion; D004899:Erythroblastosis, Fetal / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D054098:Thrombocytopenia, Neonatal Alloimmune / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*