Hi Pat,

Fortunately, we do not see a lot of Rh disease, also known as HDN
(hemolytic disease of the newborn), because almost all Rh negative mothers
who have not been previously sensitized are now given RhoGam to prevent it
from developing. Before RhoGam, HDN killed a lot of Rh positive babies who
were conceived by Rh negative moms.

There are other Rh antibodies that can cause a similar problem, such as
anti-E, but they are not nearly as common. As part of the prenatal workup,
mothers are screened for the presence of antibodies so that at least they
know ahead of time that there could be a problem and the physician can
monitor the baby in the womb.

When there is a known problem, it is not unusual to deliver the baby early
in order to minimize the damage being done - destruction of the baby's red
blood cells by the maternal antibodies. If the baby is not mature enough to
be delivered, doctors will sometimes will perform an intrauterine
transfusion to help the baby survive until he can leave the womb. There
really is no impact on the mother except that she must then deal with the
usual issues faced due to a premature birth and/or ill baby. Rh antibodies
in breast milk are largely destroyed in the stomach and I have never heard
of any restrictions on breastfeeding being enacted due to Rh sensitization
or the administration of RhIG post-partum.

Sharon Knorr

On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 5:37 PM, [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

> I had a mother attend the support group today that I facilitate for a
> local hospital. She has had a journey to deliver baby #4 after losing a
> baby at 18 weeks to RH disease over a year ago. This baby was induced at 36
> weeks, was in NICU for 2+ weeks & is now home & on a bili blanket 12
> hr./day. Jaundice is resolving. Baby is slowly gaining, doing feeds at
> breast then supplemented with mom's milk. We were wondering what impact RH
> disease has on breastfeeding, if any? Told her I could consult with all you
> wise ones. Can you enlighten me? Pat Bucknell IBCLCAvon Lake OH
>
>              ***********************************************
>
> Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
> To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
> Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
> COMMANDS:
> 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email:
> set lactnet nomail
> 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
> 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
> 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome
>

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome