[Frequency and titration of hemolytic activity of anti-A and anti-B antibodies in mothers of children with jaundice in Yaoundé, Cameroon].

INTRODUCTION: The alloimmunization of the ABO blood group system is involved in neonatal jaundice with a considerable overall prevalence. The role of ABO incompatibility is relatively little known. The purpose of this study was to investigate neonatal jaundice due to feto-maternal ABO incompatibilities and to determine the link between the hemolysins value in the mother and the degree of jaundice observed in the infant.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study from June to November 2015. The study population was exclusively composed of moms who were blood type O with children who were a different blood type hospitalized in the Department of Neonatology at the Reference Hospital in the city of Yaoundé. Statistical analyses were performed using the GraphPadPrism 6 software with a confidence interval of 95%.

RESULTS: Hemolysins frequency was of 20.58% (7/34) and anti-A hemolysin was the most common type (85.7%; 6/7). The new-born who had blood type B had a greater concentration of bilirubin levels compared to those of the AB group (p = 0.01). Multiparity was not associated with the presence of hemolysin (p = 0.8) as well as blood type of the infant was not associated with the occurrence of the hemolysins in the mother (p = 0.5).

CONCLUSION: Early neonatal jaundice or protracted neonatal jaundice are also caused by hemolysins anti-A and anti-B derived from the allo-ABO immunization. A study on a larger sample is recommended for better assessment.