Aetiology
One of the most severe causes of this condition is rhesus incompatibility.
Other causes include, in descending order of frequency and severity:
- ABO system incompatibility
- red blood cell metabolic disorders - for example, G-6-PD deficiency, pyruvate kinase deficiency
- RBC morphology disorders - for example, hereditary spherocytosis, hereditary elliptocytosis
Rhesus incompatibility tends to be more severe than ABO incompatibility because anti-D antibodies are mainly IgG, which can readily cross the placenta, whereas anti-A and anti-B antibodies are mainly IgM, which cannot cross the placenta.
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