Hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn has caused many delays in my child’s growth, both physical and cognitive.
Many times, when a baby is born prematurely, there is a deficit in their height, weight and head circumference when compared to a completely healthy newborn. Depending on the gestational age at birth, there also may be cognitive delays. However, babies with HDFN may be at an even greater disadvantage if they suffer from anemia for a long period of time.
My daughter had a total of six blood transfusions–three in utero and three after birth. Following the transfusion after birth, my daughter spent a great deal of time lethargic and unconscious due to her severe anemia. It was nearly impossible for us to even wake her to eat. Due to this essentially hibernated state for the first three months of her life, she had a few cognitive delays that included talking and interpersonal skills such as waving bye.
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Our experience was similar wit her learning to roll over and walk. She also had delays in playing, coloring and other tactile skills. Now, she does well and has developed all of these skills, but due to HDFN she developed these skills a little later than expected. The delay was generally a few months for each of the skills.
The major deficit that she faced was on the growth scale. When she was a newborn, up until the 18 month, she was not on the growth scale,eaning that she was under the 20th percentile for height, weight and head circumference.
At her two-year-old check-up, she was finally on the scale and was in the 50th percentile for height. Her weight was around the 35th percentile, and her head circumference was still small, around the 20th percentile. This result was expected due to the cognitive delays that we have witnessed. After speaking with her pediatrician about my growth concerns, her pediatrician believes that she will be cognitively caught up by the age of four.
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