Intrauterine transfusion in Rh-isoimmunization.

Fifteen per cent. of all cases of Rh-isoimmunization end in stillbirth. Until 1963 the only available means of preventing this outcome in cases with a high risk of stillbirth was to deliver the foetus prematurely before intrauterine death had occurred. The value of this was limited, because many intrauterine deaths due to haemolytic disease of the newborn occur early in pregnancy, and because in the event of a live birth prematurity is a serious danger. The introduction of intrauterine transfusion (Liley, 1963) offered the possibility that intrauterine life could be prolonged to a stage where premature induction could be more successfully employed, but implicit for its success and justification is a reliable forecast of the possible stillbirth and of the probable time of intrauterine death. The present communication describes our selection of patients for intrauterine transfusion and our experience of the procedure as employed in the Newcastle hospitals during 1965 and 1966.