A Basque laboratory, Progenika, has developed a new technique called Bloodchip, which consists of a genetic blood test that helps improve complex blood transfusions and also applies to women pregnant women who have incompatibilities with the fetus.
Known as Rh incompatibility between the fetus and the mother occurs when the mother's blood has Rh negative factor and that of the baby Rh positive. In most cases it is solved with an injection of Rh inmonuglobulin to prevent the mother from developing antibodies against the baby's red blood cells.
The diagnostic test to detect the incompatibility that is performed on the pregnant woman through a blood test is called Coomb Test.
Now, this pioneering technique in molecular biology that is being applied in the Basque Health Service, Osakidetza, is a new, safer and more accurate tool for genetically determining blood groups.
It serves to detect incompatibility with greater reliability and speed and to follow up throughout the gestation of women who have a Rh different from that of their baby.
In the case of needing an intrauterine transfusion in the fetus, this new technique provides the fetus with the exact blood transfusion needed by analyzing their DNA, minimizing the risks of adverse reactions that could be very serious for the baby.
In addition, unnecessary vaccines and treatments will be avoided thanks to the possibility of knowing in depth the needs of each mother. It will also be useful to give advice before the arrival of future children, once the genetic analysis of the woman, her partner and the baby has been carried out.
As always, we welcome all advances that are applied to improve pregnancy control.
