Feto-Maternal Hemorrhage (FMH) assessment
Hemolytic disease of the fetus and the newborn (HDFN) is caused by the passage of the maternal antibodies into the fetal circulation after sensitisation through previous pregnancies or transfusion. When this occurs during pregnancy, the fetus may suffer from accelerated RBC destruction leading to anemia and hydrops fetalis in some severe cases.
The determination of the amount of feto-maternal hemorrhage (FMH) could aid in the prevention of the progression of HDFN during pregnancy to facilitate intervention and also in the determination of accurate prophylactic anti-D doses.
In this assignment discuss the importance of FMH assessment and the various methods used for its assessment.