Purpose

Prenatal Type and Screen (TYSCP) are performed as part of a prenatal work-up and the oorder type is usually ordered for pregnant mothers in their first trimester and they are never banded. The purpose is to identify mothers/babies with the potential to develop hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) by typing the mother and to detect the presence of antibodies in the mother with the antibody screen. Antibodies in the mother can lead to serious complications if the fetus has the corresponding antigen and, if present, must be identified by panel. Such an infant may be born with hydrops fetalis or kernicterus due to hemolytic disease.

This is generally caused by incompatabilities in the Rh system, but other systems in which the antibody is able to cross the placenta may be implicated. Serological diagnosis allows successful treatment of the affected infant. This may include intra-uterine transfusions, early delivery, and/or postnatal exchange transfusions. Following the detection and identification of antibody in a prenatal patient, the physician may order periodic serological titrations (sent to reference lab). This has largely been replaced by amniocentesis and evaluation of bilirubin in the amniotic fluid in the later stages of pregnancy, but the titer can still have prognostic value.