ABSTRACT
Background: The present study was conducted to determine the fetomaternal outcome among Rh-negative pregnancies presenting to a secondary care hospital of North India. Methods: A prospective observational design was carried out among Rh negative mothers presenting to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Swaroop Rani Hospital, Prayagraj, from December 2021 to July 2022. On admission each mother was interviewed using a questionnaire. ABO/Rh grouping of the mothers as well as their husbands/partners were done. Rh antibody titers of the patients were done at first visit and repeated at 28 and 32 weeks respectively. The labor of each of the mothers was monitored carefully, with the mode of delivery and outcome of labor being recorded in the proforma. For the Rh typing of the neonate, cord blood was collected after delivery and sent for ABO/Rh grouping. Both the mother and the neonate were followed up till their discharge/death, and any adverse maternal or neonatal outcome in this period were noted. Results: During the study period, 46 mothers were assessed. The mean age was 23.9±1.4 years. Most of the mothers were multipara. 4.4% of them had a raised Rh antibody titer. Of the mothers, 13% delivered preterm and most required lower segment cesarean section (56.5%). 93.5% of the deliveries resulted in live births. The incidence of Rh incompatibility among the Rh-negative mothers was 83.7%. The mean birth weight was 2.8±0.4 kgs, with most of the babies being male (60.5%). The most common complications developing in the neonates was anemia (21%) and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (9.3%). Only one (2.3%) of the neonates born to the mothers died due to post-birth complications. Conclusions: Rh incompatibility was observed to be high among the mothers assessed in the study, with 4.4% having raised anti-D titers. Anemia and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia were found to be the most common problems associated with such pregnancies.