Erythroblastosis fetalis refers to two potentially disabling or fatal blood disorders in infants: Rh incompatibility disease and ABO incompatibility disease. Either disease may be apparent before birth and can cause fetal death in some cases. The disorder is caused by incompatibility between a mother’s blood and her unborn baby’s blood. Because of the incompatibility, the mother’s immune system may launch an immune response against the baby’s red blood cells. As a result, the baby’s blood cells are destroyed, and the baby may suffer severe anemia (deficiency in red blood cells), brain damage, or death.

Hemolytic disease of the newborn. (2016, July 14). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:58, July 14, 2016, fromhttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hemolytic_disease_of_the_newborn&oldid=729847925