Composed: Water, Bile Salts, Bilirubin Cholesterol, Inorganic Salts
Actions: Lipid emulsificiation, Lipase activation, Enterohepatic transport of drugs
Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn (Kernicterus)
occurs when mother is Rh- and fetus is Rh+
Rh factor contains several antigens. It is found in red blood cells only.
Rh+ means that red blood cells have antigenic agglutinogen D
Rh- has no antigenic agglutinogen and, when in contact with Rh+ blood, forms anti-agglutinogen antibodies which destroy red blood cells
massive destruction of red blood cells in the fetus and newborn induces sever hyperbilirubinemia (kernicterus); bilirubin accumulates in the brain causing impaired development
first child less affected than following siblings
Treatment: passive immunization of the mother by administration of anti-Rh antibodies