Maternal and Neonatal Jaundice and Hepatitis Associated With Intrauterine Fetal Transfusion

Abstract

ONE OF THE most exciting innovations in clinical medicine in recent years has been the treatment, by direct transfusion, of an intrauterine fetus whose red blood cells (RBC) are affected by maternal antibodies. Several investigators throughout the world^1-3have attested to the prognostic value of spectrophotometric studies of amniotic fluid, which allow for more accurate evaluation of the degree of fetal involvement. Liley further confirmed the clinical value of the analytic procedure and described a technique of fetal transfusion.⁴ Jaundice is an infrequent complication of pregnancy. Although jaundice is common in the newborn, neonatal hepatitis is rare. This report relates the clinical histories of jaundice and hepatitis which occurred concomitantly in mother and fetus in association with intrauterine intraperitoneal fetal transfusion. Although unproved by viral identification or hepatic biopsy, it is suggested that the etiologic agent was a virus which was iatrically introduced into the fetal circulation with