New blood test recommendation from NICE

Published on: 06/09/2016

NICE have released draft guidance on a new blood test for Rhesus-D negative pregnant women, to ensure that treatment is only given to those who need it.

 

Currently, a mother’s blood is tested when pregnant to determine if she is rhesus-D positive or negative and if negative, the women is given anti-D immunoglobulin. However, it is only in the case of the baby being positive (and therefore different to the mother), that the treatment is actually needed.

 

NICE advises that anti-D immunoglobulin is given because:

“Women who are rhesus-D negative are missing a substance called D antigen on their red blood cells. If they become pregnant and their baby is rhesus-D positive (has the D antigen on their blood cells), blood cells from the baby that transfer into the bloodstream of the mother can cause the mother’s immune system to produce antibodies to the baby’s blood, a process called sensitisation.  The first pregnancy is not usually dangerous but if a second baby is also rhesus-D positive these antibodies can attack the blood cells of the unborn baby.”

 

However, up until now there hasn’t been a way to detect the rhesus-D status of the baby, just the mother. This new test – high-throughput, non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) – will ensure that only those requiring the treatment will be provided it. Developed by NHS Blood and Transplant, the test will be performed in routine antenatal appointments.

 

It is estimated that approximately 40,000 mothers between March 2013 and April 2014 received the anti-D treatment, but did not require it. It is hoped that the new test could save the NHS £500,000 per year, and ensure precious stocks of the treatment are preserved for longer.

 

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