Feto‐Maternal Bleeding

Abstract

Blood samples from pregnant women and from mothers before and after delivery were tested for the occurrence of feto-maternal bleeding (f.m.b.) using Kleihauers acid-elution technique and a counting technique described by Schneider. It was assumed that f.m.b. had occurred, when there was a clinically significant difference between the values of hb-F cells per million cells in two blood samples. F.m.b. had occurred in nearly 2/3 of the mothers after pregnancy and delivery. The f.m.b.'s were most often less than 0.1 ml and only a few per cent had f.m.b.'s between 0.1 and 1 ml. Abortion, complicated pregnancies, amniocentesis, pre-eclampsia, caesarean section and other kinds of complicated deliveries increased the risk of especially larger f.m.b.'s.

Ultrastructural localization of glycoprotein IIIa (GPIIIa, β3 integrin) on placental syncytiotrophoblast microvilli: implications for platelet alloimmunization during pregnancy

“…Indeed, FMHs were found greater and more frequent before Week 36 of pregnancy in patients with hypertension due to preeclampsia than normal women 42 and the risk of large FMH was increased in preeclamptic patients. 43 One of the features of preeclampsia is placental hypoxia due to reduced maternal blood flow through the spiral arteries, probably increasing the likelihood of necrotic shedding of the ST. FMH is more likely later in pregnancy 9,10 when 1) the fetal capillaries are close to the ST, 2) the villi are more numerous as the placenta grows, and 3) there are likely to be more hypoxic areas. Evidence for the reverse transfer of maternal cells to fetal blood (maternofetal hemorrhage) suggests that it rarely occurs.…”

Fetomaternal Bleeding During Attempts at External Version

“…Eleven (22 per cent) of the blood samples taken just before external version showed fetal red cells. Evidence of fetomaternal bleeds has previously been demonstrated in 26 per cent of normal third trimester pregnancies (Jsrgensen, 1977). Thus the presence of a breech presentation does not seem to influence the frequency of spontaneous fetomaternal bleeds.…”

Fetal-Maternal Hemorrhage: A Case and Literature Review

“…6 In 1997, Jorgansen proposed an incidence of 39 to 95% of pregnancies resulting in some fetal blood in maternal circulation. 7 Bowman suggested that 75% of all pregnancies have a degree of FMH. 8 Sebring showed that 93% of FMHs result in <0.5 mL of fetal blood being transferred.…”