Efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin in the management of haemolytic disease of the newborn.

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is indicated for use in Rhesus and ABO hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) to reduce the need for exchange transfusion, to decrease hospital stay and the duration of phototherapy. 11 infants received IVIG and the effect of IVIG on the total serum bilirubin (TSB) level, and its effect on the rate of rise of TSB was quantified. There was a statistically significant decrease in bilirubin levels before and after treatment with IVIG from 234 to 219 micromol/L (p = 0.001). In addition, the rate of change in bilirubin level significantly altered from an upward to a downward trend. (p = 0.001). The Number Needed to Treat (NNT) to prevent an exchange transfusion was 2.75--comparable with the recent systematic review of IVIG with a NNT of 2.7.