Final answer:
Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) will not be possible in the case of an Rh-positive mother with an Rh-positive baby, an Rh-negative mother with an Rh-negative baby, and an Rh-positive mother with an Rh-negative baby, because there is no Rh factor incompatibility.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) is a condition where the red blood cells of a Rhesus positive (Rh-positive) fetus are destroyed by antibodies produced by a Rhesus negative (Rh-negative) mother. This disease occurs most commonly during subsequent pregnancies after the mother has been sensitized to the Rh antigen.
Given the scenarios:
- Rh-positive mother and Rh-positive baby
- Rh-negative mother and Rh-negative baby
- Rh-positive mother and Rh-negative baby
- Rh-negative mother and Rh-positive baby
The case in which hemolytic disease of the newborn will not be possible is Rh-positive mother and Rh-positive baby (a) as well as Rh-negative mother and Rh-negative baby (b) because there is no antigen-antibody incompatibility related to the Rh factor in these scenarios. In addition, Rh-positive mother and Rh-negative baby (c) would also not lead to HDN because the mother does not have antibodies against Rh antigens. However, the scenario with an Rh-negative mother and Rh-positive baby (d) may result in HDN if the mother was sensitized during a previous pregnancy.
Rho(D) immune globulin can be administered to prevent sensitization and subsequent HDN in pregnancies involving an Rh-negative mother and an Rh-positive fetus.