RhD negativity among pregnant women in multiethnic Suriname

• Published in: Transfusion (Philadelphia, Pa.) Vol. 56; no. 2; pp. 321 - 324
• Main Authors: Zonneveld, Rens, Schmitz, Peter, Eppink, Jedda, Mac Donald, M. Sigrid, Nahar-van Venrooij, Lenny M.W., Kanhai, Humphrey H.H., Zijlmans, Wilco C.W.R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.02.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Female; Health risk assessment; Humans; Isoantibodies - blood; Pregnancy - blood; Pregnancy - ethnology; Prevalence; Retrospective Studies; Rh-Hr Blood-Group System - blood; Suriname - ethnology; Suriname
• ISSN: 0041-1132; 1537-2995
• DOI: 10.1111/trf.13395

BACKGROUND RhD negativity is distributed unevenly among different ethnicities. In this study we explored the frequencies of RhD negativity in pregnant women in multiethnic Suriname, along with screening results for red blood cell (RBC) antibodies in these women and their offspring. Results may help identify women at risk for hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS A retrospective study was performed in pregnant women who delivered at three major hospitals in Suriname between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2014. RESULTS The overall prevalences of RhD negativity among 8686 women was 4.3%. The percentages of RhD negativity in Maroons, Creoles, and Hindustani women were 7.2, 5.4, and 3.7%, respectively. Chinese and Javanese women had very low prevalences of 0.8 and 0.5%, respectively, and Amerindians showed no RhD negativity. Antibody screening was positive in six D– (five Maroons and one Creole) women and weakly positive in three women (two Creoles and one Maroon), making overall antibody prevalence 4.4%. In 15 (5.5%; 10 Maroons, four Creoles, one Chinese) newborns from D– mothers antibody screening was positive. CONCLUSION In the multiethnic Surinamese population RhD negativity among pregnant women varied between 0.0 and 7.2% between ethnic groups. RBC antibodies were detected during pregnancy and in newborns in 4.4 and 5.5%, respectively.