Foetal rhesus affiliation test

By doing this test, a rhesus-negative woman can find out whether she is carrying a rhesus-positive or rhesus-negative fetus.

In the case of a rhesus conflict between a rhesus-negative mother and a rhesus-positive fetus, antibodies are synthesized in the woman's body against the rhesus antigen on the erythrocytes of the fetus that has crossed the placenta. Antibodies entering the fetal circulation can cause hemolytic disease of the fetus, a potentially life-threatening disease. In order to find out the possibility of a rhesus conflict, it is possible to determine the rhesus status of the fetus based on fetal DNA circulating in the mother's blood from the 10th week of pregnancy.

The test correctly identifies 99.9 per cent of all Rh-positive foetuses and 99.1 per cent of all Rh-negative foetuses. In the case of an expectant mother with a rhesus-positive fetus, it is possible to perform prenatal prophylaxis with anti-D immunoglobulin at the 28th week of pregnancy to prevent rhesus conflict.

In rhesus-negative women who have developed rhesus antibodies in previous pregnancies, it helps to plan an individualized pregnancy monitoring plan for timely diagnosis of fetal hemolytic disease and preparation of a treatment plan in the case of a rhesus-positive fetus.

Determination of the fetal rhesus factor from fetal blood can only be performed in the case of a singleton pregnancy.

The results for the foetal rhesus affiliation test are received within 14 days of the blood test.