Anemia Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Anemia, including details on symptoms, diagnosis, diet, treatment, causes.

Massive feto-maternal hemorrhage: diagnosis by cardiotocography, Doppler ultrasonography and ST waveform analysis of fetal electrocardiography.

Malcus P, Bjorklund LJ, Lilja M, Teleman P, Laurini R

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden. peter.malcus@med.lu.se

A 34-year-old healthy gravida 2 para 1 presented after an uncomplicated pregnancy at term with a 2-day history of diminished fetal movements. Fetal anemia was suspected by fetal heart rate monitoring and Doppler estimation of the fetal peak blood flow velocity of the middle cerebral artery. We were also fortunate to register pathological ST waveform changes of the fetal ECG indicating fetal hypoxia. The diagnosis of a massive feto-maternal hemorrhage was confirmed by an extremely high fraction of erythrocytes containing fetal hemoglobin in maternal blood and, after delivery, by placental histology.

Published 15 December 2005 in Fetal Diagn Ther, 21(1): 8-12.
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