Intravenous immunoglobulin G in the treatment of ABO hemolytic disease of the newborn during the early neonatal period at a tertiary academic hospital: a retrospective study

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous immunoglobulin G (IVIG) in infants with ABO hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN). METHODS: Infants with moderate-to-severe ABO HDN during early neonatal period (<7 days) at our hospital in 2017 were included in this retrospective study. Patients treated with IVIG and phototherapy were classified as the IVIG group, and those who only received phototherapy were classified as the phototherapy only group. RESULTS: Forty-six patients were classified into the IVIG group and 68 other patients were classified into the phototherapy only group. There was no significant difference in duration of phototherapy, hospitalization periods, needs for exchange transfusion, transfusions, and incidence of bilirubin-induced neurological sequelae between these two groups (P = 0.20, 0.27, 0.65, 0.47, 0.78, respectively). CONCLUSION: It seems unnecessary to expose neonates to IVIG in moderate-to-severe ABO HDN when the available data show no appreciable benefits.