[Prophylatic rhesus sensitization via intravenous administration of immunoglobulin G anti-D. III. Limits of the prophylaxsis obtainable by adapting the immunoglobulin dosage to the extent of the fetalmaternal blood transfusion (author's transl)].

Intravenously administered IgG anti-D permits a prophylatic rhesus sensitization. The size of the dose of immunoglobulin is adapted to the fetomaternal blood transfusion. The procedure is highly reliable in individual cases. The results acquired from a large control group, however, are not significantly better than the results obtained by other authors with intramuscular administration of IgG anti-D. Of the 1216 rh-negative mothers who were given follow-up checks, 1208 showed no active D-antibody formation as late as 7 months postpartum. An active D-antibody formation was found in 8 rh-negative mothers up to 14 days postpartum. These were anamnestic reactions. In 212 second pregnancies with a rh-postive child, 2 rh-negative mothers were sensitized in the rhesus system. The cause of this failure is thought to be the fact that the intravenously administered IgG anti-D did not gain access to the noncirculating D-positive erythrocytes in the pertioneal cavity of the mother.