[Prevention of hemolytic disease in newborn infants using anti-D immunoglobulin G].

The authors have analyzed the prevention of Rh-immunization from 1972 to 1983. Results are presented in two six-year periods, i.e. from 1972 to 1977 and from 1978 to 1983. Prevention was applied to all rh-negative women, who have been delivered from a rh-negative baby in their first childbirth (with negative sensibilization tests). Anti D IgG was also applied to all women after their second, third, fourth or subsequent delivery, if they were willing to have more children. Women with Du variant of the Rh factor and having a Rh-positive child were also protected. Preparations containing 250 to 300 micrograms of IgG anti-D were used. During the first period we found rh-negative mothers in 18.41 per cent, in 63.48 per cent of them the newborn was Rh-positive. During the second period 17.89 per cent of our women were rh-negative with 58.45 per cent Rh-positive babies. During the first period, protection was afforded to 60.26 per cent of the rh-negative women with incompatible babies, and in the second period to 79.11 per cent, respectively (P less than 0.05). During the second period, 99.70 per cent of women were protected after their first delivery (except of one case with immunization already during pregnancy), in contrast to the first period, where this percentage amounted only to 84.66 per cent (P less than 0.05). During both periods, a total of 69.51 per cent of the rh-negative women having Rh-positive babies received anti-D-immunization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)