Abstract
An accepted diagnostic feature of hemo lytic disease of the newborn due to isoimmu nization by any of the Rh factors is a posi tive direct antiglobulin reaction (Coombs test) with umbilical cord blood.
Not so well documented is the usefulness of the direct antiglobulin test for the recog nition of hemolytic disease associated with ABO grouping differences. Some believe the test to be generally negative or weakly posi tive in infants who clinically and hemato logically have hemolytic disease related to ABO incompatibility, whereas others claim to find the direct test positive in 90 per cent of such infants. The latter contention is supported by the findings in the study here described.
The direct Coombs test on cord blood is suggested as a useful screening test particu larly when Rh or ABO grouping of the parents is either not known, or so related to each other that a potential isoimmunization problem may ensue in the infant.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.