Destruction of fetal red blood cells due to maternal antibodies to fetal blood is known as?

• A. rh disease
• B. ABO incompatibility
• C. alloimmune hemolytic disease
• D. kernicterus

Answer: (A)

Hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn caused by maternal antibodies attacking fetal red blood cells. The classic name for destruction due to anti-D antibodies in an Rh-incompatible pregnancy is Rh disease (erythroblastosis fetalis). When an Rh-negative mother has an Rh-positive fetus, she can develop anti-D antibodies that cross the placenta and hemolyze fetal red cells, leading to fetal anemia and risk of hydrops. ABO incompatibility can also cause fetal red cell destruction, but it’s typically milder and not the defining term for this scenario. Alloimmune hemolytic disease is the broader category that includes both Rh and ABO-related cases, but the specific, well-known designation for anti-D–mediated destruction is Rh disease. Kernicterus is a severe bilirubin-related complication that can occur after hemolysis, not the disease name itself.