2025 ICD-10-CM code P55.0
Rh isoimmunization of newborn. This condition occurs when antibodies from an Rh-negative mother cross the placenta and attack the red blood cells of an Rh-positive fetus or newborn.
Medical necessity for treatment of Rh isoimmunization is established by the presence of HDN in the newborn. The severity of HDN, as determined by laboratory and clinical findings, dictates the type and intensity of treatment required.
The clinical responsibility for managing Rh isoimmunization of the newborn rests with neonatologists, pediatricians, and other healthcare professionals involved in newborn care.Their responsibilities include monitoring the newborn's condition, providing necessary treatments such as phototherapy and exchange transfusions, and educating the parents about the condition and its long-term management.
- Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period
- P50-P61 (Hemorrhagic and hematological disorders of newborn)
In simple words: If a mother's blood is Rh-negative and her baby's blood is Rh-positive, the mother's body may produce antibodies against the baby's blood. These antibodies can attack the baby's red blood cells, leading to health problems like jaundice and anemia.
Rh isoimmunization of the newborn is a condition that occurs when a pregnant woman who is Rh-negative is carrying a fetus who is Rh-positive. If fetal blood cells enter the mother’s bloodstream during pregnancy or delivery, her body can create antibodies against the Rh factor, as it recognizes the Rh-positive blood as foreign. These antibodies can then cross the placenta and attack the fetus's red blood cells, leading to hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN). Symptoms of HDN can vary, ranging from mild jaundice and anemia to more serious complications such as kernicterus (brain damage caused by severe jaundice), heart failure, and even death. The severity of HDN depends on the amount of antibodies produced by the mother and the fetus’s blood type.
Example 1: A newborn infant presents with jaundice and anemia within the first 24 hours of life. The mother's blood type is Rh-negative, and the infant's is Rh-positive.Diagnostic tests confirm Rh isoimmunization as the cause., An Rh-negative mother experiences placental abruption during pregnancy with an Rh-positive fetus. This event can sensitize the mother and cause Rh isoimmunization in the newborn., A previously sensitized Rh-negative mother gives birth to an Rh-positive infant. The infant exhibits signs of severe HDN, including kernicterus, shortly after birth.
Documentation should include maternal blood type and Rh status, results of antibody screening tests, infant's blood type and Rh status, Coombs test results, and any diagnostic or treatment procedures performed (e.g., phototherapy, exchange transfusion).
- Specialties:Neonatology, Pediatrics
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Birthing Center