Molly and Bethany address the common question many families wonder about what to do to monitor their HDFN baby once they’re home, and how to know when baby is finally cleared of HDFN. They share their children’s post-discharge monitoring plans, which cover a full spectrum of HDFN severity.

If you haven’t already, listen to Season 1 Episode 13 about the neonatal HDFN period. Common terms discussed in this episode: 

• Newborn hemolytic anemia
• Newborn hyperbilirubinemia 
• Hemoglobin/hematocrit
• Reticulocytes
• Erythropoietin/darbepoetin/ESAs
• Thrombocytopenia
• Neutropenia
• Pediatric hematologist

Example transfusion thresholds provided in our Excellent Neonatal Care Practices resource here.

References in this episode: 

Clinical study showing the effectiveness of ESAs for neonatal HDFN: 

Ree IM, de Haas M, van Geloven N, Juul SE, de Winter D, Verweij EJ, Oepkes D, van der Bom JG, Lopriore E. Darbepoetin alfa to reduce transfusion episodes in infants with haemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn who are treated with intrauterine transfusions in the Netherlands: an open-label, single-centre, phase 2, randomised, controlled trial. The Lancet Haematology. 2023 Dec 1;10(12):e976-84.

Watch this episode on YouTube

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