Bengaluru's Indira Gandhi Hospital begins blood transfusions for foetuses

Bengaluru: The Centre of Excellence for Rare Disease (COERD) at Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, Bengaluru, has started conducting blood transfusions on foetuses in cases of anaemia and differing Rhesus (Rh) factors between the mother and the foetus.

Usually, when the child and mother have different Rhs — the mother is negative while the father and baby are positive — during and at the end of pregnancy, the mother receives an injection called 'Anti D'.

In a subsequent pregnancy, if there is another Rh-positive baby, these antibodies can cross the placenta and attack the baby's blood cells, causing Haemolytic Disease of the Newborn (HDN), which can lead to anaemia, jaundice or even death.

To save the foetus from HDN, doctors are resorting to blood transfusions.

Dr Sanjeeva GN, professor of paediatrics and nodal officer at COERD, said: "We have had two very crucial cases here. A mother at the end of her previous pregnancy was not given an Anti-D injection. The second child was also Rh-positive, which posed a threat to the baby, leading to anaemia."

"An ultrasound scan showed the haemoglobin at 8, whereas the usual foetal haemoglobin is around 20. Accordingly, O negative blood was transfused to the baby, helping raise the haemoglobin to 18," the doctor added.

O negative blood is typically chosen for transfusion as the blood group is a universal donor. For the foetus, blood exposed to radiation is used to destroy the donor's white blood cells and prevent any kind of host disease.

"The transfusion procedure is free. Patients only have to pay for the blood, which costs approximately Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000. In some cases, blood transfusion is required more than once," said Dr Sanjeeva.

The same procedure costs between Rs 40,000 and Rs 60,000 in private hospitals.

Asked whether the initiative will be expanded to other government medical facilities, a senior health department official said: "Blood transfusion is usually needed in rare cases, so patients will be referred to Indira Gandhi Hospital instead of offering the service everywhere."