Rh blood incompatibility refers to the presence or absence of a type of protein in your red blood cells. Mother-child blood incompatibility occurs when you, the mother, have Rh negative blood and your baby is Rh-positive. Your maternal antibodies can cross the placenta and destroy fetal red blood cells. Left untreated, the baby may suffer severe brain damage, heart failure, fluid buildup (hydrops fetalis), anemia and other serious complications. Rh incompatibility is the leading cause of potentially fatal blood-related problems with newborns.
If caught early, Rh blood incompatibility doesn’t need to be a death sentence for your baby. In fact, complications usually don’t arise until the second or subsequent pregnancies, after the mother’s immune system has become sensitized enough to create antibodies. Prompt detection and preventative treatment can greatly reduce the risk to your fetus.
ABO Incompatibility
Another type of blood incompatibility occurs when you have type O blood and your baby has type A or B. In rare cases, this incompatibility can result in ABO hemolytic disease of the newborn (ABO HDN), a serious condition that requires immediate treatment.
Turn To Leading Advocates In The Birth Injury Field
With the advent of modern medicine, the serious consequences of blood incompatibility can be readily avoided – unless your doctor overlooks this important issue or fails to advise the right treatment. Such negligence can lead to life-threatening problems for your baby.
At Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger, one of California’s leading birth injury law firms, we represent infants and children with blood incompatibility complications. We believe no infant should have to suffer harm due to needless medical oversights. We can help you and your family pursue accountability and compensation through the legal system.
Our team of nationally acclaimed attorneys includes a former pediatrician with 20 years of medical experience.
We can swiftly evaluate medical records to provide you with a clear assessment of your options.
You Deserve Answers
Watching your infant suffer unnecessary consequences is something no parent should have to endure. Not getting straight answers about what went wrong – or who was at fault – can make a tragic situation even more difficult.
Our firm can help you get the answers you deserve. For a free initial consultation, contact us online or call us at (415) 981-7210 today.