Fetal anemia

Changed by Aditya Shetty, 23 Sep 2014

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A fetal anaemia can result from many causes which include:

haemolytic disease of the newborn
- fetomaternal ABO incompatibility
- fetomaternal rhesus (Rh) incompatibility
fetal infections:
- fetal parvovirus B19 infection
haematopoetic abnomalities:
- homozygous alpha thalassaemia ⁷
syndromes:
- Aase syndrome
- fanconi anaemia
tumours:

Radiographic features

Ultrasound

General sonographic features include

evidence of fetal hepatomegaly and / or fetal splenomegaly
effects of subsequent cardiovascular compromise:
- development of hydrops fetalis

Doppler features

increase in fetal middle cerebral arterial (MCA) Dopplertime average mean velocity (TAMV): may occur before precipitation of fetal hydrops
increase in fetal middle cerebral arterial (MCA) Doppler peak systolic velocity (PSV): may occur before precipitation of fetal hydrops
changes in fetal MCA Doppler are reported to have 88 % sensitivity and a 82 % specificity for detection of fetal anaemias

Fetal MRI

Content required

Treatment and prognosis

Intra-uterine transfusion via the umbilical vein can be successfully in selected cases. Overall prognosis will depend on underlying conditions and associations.

~~-<p>A <strong>fetal anaemia</strong> can result from many causes which include</p><ul>~~
~~-<li>~~
~~-<a href="/articles/haemolytic-disease-of-the-newborn" title="Haemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN)">haemolytic disease of the newborn</a><ul>~~
~~-<li><a href="/articles/fetomaternal-abo-incompatibility" title="fetomaternal ABO incompatibility">fetomaternal ABO incompatibility</a></li>~~
~~-<li><a href="/articles/fetomaternal-rhesus-rh-incompatibility" title="fetomaternal rhesus (Rh) incompatibility">fetomaternal rhesus (Rh) incompatibility</a></li>~~
+<p>A <strong>fetal anaemia</strong> can result from many causes which include:</p><ul>
+<li>
+<a href="/articles/haemolytic-disease-of-the-newborn">haemolytic disease of the newborn</a><ul>
+<li><a href="/articles/fetomaternal-abo-incompatibility">fetomaternal ABO incompatibility</a></li>
+<li><a href="/articles/fetomaternal-rhesus-rh-incompatibility">fetomaternal rhesus (Rh) incompatibility</a></li>
~~-</li>~~
~~-<li>fetal infections :~~
~~-<ul><li><a href="/articles/fetal-parvovirus-b19-infection" title="Fetal parvovirus B19 infection">fetal parvovirus B19 infection</a></li></ul>~~
~~-</li>~~
~~-<li>haematopoetic abnomalities~~
~~-<ul><li>homozygous <a href="/articles/alpha-thalassaemia" title="alpha thalassaemia">alpha thalassaemia</a> <sup>7</sup>~~
+</li>
+<li>fetal infections:<ul><li><a href="/articles/fetal-parvovirus-b19-infection">fetal parvovirus B19 infection</a></li></ul>
+</li>
+<li>haematopoetic abnomalities:<ul><li>homozygous <a href="/articles/alpha-thalassaemia">alpha thalassaemia</a> <sup>7</sup>
~~-</li>~~
~~-<li>syndromes<ul>~~
~~-<li><a href="/articles/aase-syndrome" title="Aase syndrome">Aase syndrome</a></li>~~
~~-<li><a href="/articles/fanconi-anaemia" title="Fanconi anaemia">fanconi anaemia</a></li>~~
+</li>
+<li>syndromes:<ul>
+<li><a href="/articles/aase-syndrome">Aase syndrome</a></li>
+<li><a href="/articles/fanconi-anaemia">fanconi anaemia</a></li>
~~-</li>~~
~~-<li>tumours<ul>~~
~~-<li><a href="/articles/placental-chorioangioma" title="Placental chorioangioma">placental chorioangioma</a></li>~~
~~-<li><a href="/articles/infantile-haemangioendothelioma-1" title="Infantile haemangioendothelioma">infantile haemangioendothelioma</a></li>~~
~~-<li><a href="/articles/sacrococcygeal-teratoma" title="Sacrococcygeal teratoma">sacrococcygeal teratoma</a></li>~~
+</li>
+<li>tumours:<ul>
+<li><a href="/articles/placental-chorioangioma">placental chorioangioma</a></li>
+<li><a href="/articles/infantile-haemangioendothelioma-1">infantile haemangioendothelioma</a></li>
+<li><a href="/articles/sacrococcygeal-teratoma">sacrococcygeal teratoma</a></li>
~~-</li>~~
~~-</ul><h4>Radiographic features</h4><h5>Ultrasound</h5><p>General sonographic features include</p><ul style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 14px 40px">~~
-<li>evidence of <a href="/articles/fetal-hepatomegaly" title="fetal hepatomegaly">fetal hepatomegaly</a> and / or <a href="/articles/fetal-splenomegaly" title="fetal splenomegaly">fetal splenomegaly</a>
~~-</li>~~
~~-<li>effects of subsequent cardiovascular compromise~~
~~-<ul><li>development of <a href="/articles/hydrops-fetalis" title="Hydrops fetalis">hydrops fetalis</a>~~
+</li>
+</ul><h4>Radiographic features</h4><h5>Ultrasound</h5><p>General sonographic features include</p><ul>
+<li>evidence of <a href="/articles/fetal-hepatomegaly">fetal hepatomegaly</a> and / or <a href="/articles/fetal-splenomegaly">fetal splenomegaly</a>
+</li>
+<li>effects of subsequent cardiovascular compromise:<ul><li>development of <a href="/articles/hydrops-fetalis">hydrops fetalis</a>
~~-</li>~~
~~-</ul><p><strong>Doppler features</strong></p><ul style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 14px 40px">~~
-<li>increase in <a href="/articles/fetal-middle-cerebral-arterial-mca-doppler" title="fetal middle cerebral arterial (MCA)�Doppler">fetal middle cerebral arterial (MCA) Doppler</a><a href="/articles/missing" title="middle cerebral arterial (MCA) Doppler " style="COLOR: rgb(127,127,127)"> </a>time average mean velocity (TAMV) : may occur before precipitation of fetal hydrops</li>
~~-<li>increase in fetal middle cerebral arterial (MCA) Doppler peak systolic velocity (PSV) : may occur before precipitation of fetal hydrops</li>~~
~~-<li>changes in fetal MCA Doppler are reported to have 88 % sensitivity and a 82 % specificity for detection of fetal anaemias </li>~~
-</ul><h5>Fetal MRI</h5><p><em>Content required</em></p><h4>Treatment and prognosis</h4><p><a href="/articles/intra-uterine-transfusion" title="Intra-uterine transfusion">Intra-uterine transfusion</a> via the umbilical vein can be successfully in selected cases. Overall prognosis will depend on underlying conditions and associations. </p><h4>See also</h4><ul><li><a href="/articles/fetal-thrombocytopaenia" title="Fetal thrombocytopaenia">fetal thrombocytopaenia</a></li></ul>
+</li>
+</ul><p><strong>Doppler features</strong></p><ul>
+<li>increase in <a href="/articles/fetal-middle-cerebral-arterial-mca-doppler">fetal middle cerebral arterial (MCA) Doppler</a><a href="/articles/missing"> </a>time average mean velocity (TAMV): may occur before precipitation of fetal hydrops</li>
+<li>increase in fetal middle cerebral arterial (MCA) Doppler peak systolic velocity (PSV): may occur before precipitation of fetal hydrops</li>
+<li>changes in fetal MCA Doppler are reported to have 88 % sensitivity and a 82 % specificity for detection of fetal anaemias </li>
+</ul><h5>Fetal MRI</h5><p><em>Content required</em></p><h4>Treatment and prognosis</h4><p><a href="/articles/intra-uterine-transfusion">Intra-uterine transfusion</a> via the umbilical vein can be successfully in selected cases. Overall prognosis will depend on underlying conditions and associations. </p><h4>See also</h4><ul><li><a href="/articles/fetal-thrombocytopaenia">fetal thrombocytopaenia</a></li></ul>