Why intrauterine transfusion

To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again.

Important Phone Numbers. Top of the page. Treatment Overview An intrauterine transfusion provides blood to an Rh-positive fetus when fetal red blood cells are being destroyed by the Rh-sensitized mother's immune system. What To Expect A short recovery period approximately 1 to 3 hours is needed to allow the mother's sedatives to wear off. Why It Is Done An intrauterine blood transfusion may be done to replace fetal red blood cells that are being destroyed by an Rh-sensitized mother's immune system Rh disease.

These transfusions are done when: Doppler ultrasound of the middle cerebral artery suggests anemia. The bilirubin result from amniocentesis testing shows that the fetus is moderately to severely affected by Rh sensitization. Ultrasound shows evidence of fetal hydrops , such as swollen tissues and organs. This is a highly specialised area of medical practice requiring close collaboration between experts in fetal medicine, haematology and blood transfusion, and rapid access to blood counting.

The objective of red cell IUT is to prevent or treat life-threatening fetal anaemia hydrops fetalis and allow the pregnancy to continue to a stage where a viable baby can be delivered ideally at least 36 weeks gestation.

High-risk pregnancies are monitored by weekly fetal Doppler ultrasound scans to measure middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity, an indication of the severity of fetal anaemia, and regular ultrasound monitoring of fetal growth.

Fetal blood sampling is indicated if severe anaemia before 24 weeks gestation is suspected, if there has been a previous intrauterine death, or if there is a rapid increase in maternal red cell alloantibody levels. The target haematocrit after IUT is usually around 0.

To balance the competing risks of fetal anaemia and the hazards of invasive IUT procedures, the transfusion programme is started as late as possible and the frequency of transfusion is reduced by giving the maximum safe volume of a special red cell component with a high haematocrit Table Transfusion volume is calculated by the fetal medicine specialist using a formula based on the haematocrits of the donor blood and fetus, the estimated feto-placental blood volume and the target haematocrit.

Intrauterine Transfusion Intrauterine Transfusion. Parvovirus B19 viral infection in the mother Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome Goals of intrauterine transfusion are to prevent or treat fetal heart failure hydrops , which can be caused by anemia, and to allow the pregnancy to continue so the baby can be more developed when it is born.

About the procedure There are two methods to perform fetal blood transfusions. This is not as common. Top of the page. Treatment Overview An intrauterine transfusion provides blood to an Rh-positive fetus when fetal red blood cells are being destroyed by Rh antibodies. The mother is sedated, and an ultrasound image is obtained to determine the position of the fetus and placenta.

After the mother's abdomen is cleaned with an antiseptic solution, she is given a local anesthetic injection to numb the abdominal area where the transfusion needle will be inserted. Medicine may be given to the fetus to temporarily stop fetal movement. Ultrasound is used to guide the needle through the mother's abdomen into the fetus's abdomen or an umbilical cord vein. A compatible blood type usually type O, Rh-negative is delivered into the fetus's umbilical cord blood vessel.

The mother is usually given antibiotics to prevent infection. She may also be given tocolytic medicine to prevent labor from beginning, though this is unusual. What To Expect After Treatment A short recovery period approximately 1 to 3 hours is needed to allow the mother's sedatives to wear off. Why It Is Done A sensitized mother's immune system can destroy a large amount of fetal red blood cells, causing severe anemia. Intrauterine blood transfusions are done when: Doppler ultrasound of the middle cerebral artery suggests anemia.

The bilirubin result from amniocentesis testing shows that the fetus is moderately to severely affected by Rh sensitization. Ultrasound shows evidence of fetal hydrops , such as swollen tissues and organs.