This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in JAMA  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Oscar Litwak, MD; Howard F. Taswell, MD; Edward A. Banner, MD; Louis Keith, MD

JAMA. 1970;214(3):531-534.

Abstract
Transplacental passage of fetal erythrocytes occurs in 32% of patients undergoing spontaneous abortion. Intrauterine instrumentation for incomplete abortion favors the placental passage of larger volumes of fetal cells. The relationship of isoimmunization to transplacental hemorrhage, although clearly established in term pregnancies, remains to be elucidated after abortion. Because of the unknown risk of sensitization from this cause, and since 26% of our patients show evidence of transplacental hemorrhage of 0.05 ml or more, the practice of administering anti-Rho -globulin after abortion in an Rh-negative patient seems indicated. We suggest that early isoimmunization, and thus apparent subsequent failures in Rh prophylaxis, may be caused by a large fetal hemorrhage which occurs during pregnancy after threatened abortion.

Author Affiliations
From the departments of clinical pathology (Dr. Taswell) and obstetrics and gynecology (Dr. Banner), Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minn; Mayo Graduate School of Medicine (University of Minnesota), Rochester (Dr. Litwak); and Cook County Hospital, Chicago (Dr. Keith).

Footnotes
Reprint requests to Section of Publications, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn 55901.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?