Fetal Maternal Testing

[Blood Bank Dave]

Does anyone have a procedure that you’re willing to share for using the Sure-Tech Fetal Hemoglobin kit for testing Amniotic and other Body Fluids for the presence of Fetal Erythrocytes? The manufacture’s procedure which comes with the kit has explicate instructions for testing blood samples but is very vague for testing Amniotic and other Body Fluids.

[L106]

There's probably a simple, obvious answer, but I'll embarrass myself and ask it.

Why would a test for fetal hemoglobin be ordered on amniotic or other body fluid? (Thanks!)

[Blood Bank Dave]

An intelligent person is not afraid to ask questions, only a fool will think they know it all. To answer your question, “Why does one want to check amniotic or other body fluid for fetal red cell” i.e. Sometimes a newborn may be vomiting up emesis which is bloody and the pediatrician wants to know if the blood is maternal (possibly swallowed during delivery) or fetal (possibly indicating gastro-intestinal complications). The result of either maternal or fetal blood may direct the pediatrician on the proper course of treatment for the newborn.

[Mabel Adams]

The red cells have to remain intact for the Fetal Hgb in the stain to work, don't they? It seems like that would be a risk in emesis or stool. There used to be a test for fetal hemoglobin called the APT test years ago that we used on such fluids.

[cthherbal ☆]

The red cells have to remain intact for the Fetal Hgb in the stain to work, don't they? It seems like that would be a risk in emesis or stool. There used to be a test for fetal hemoglobin called the APT test years ago that we used on such fluids.

Yes. We do this test still, albeit rarely.