Maternity Clinic Sample Testing
In Finland, all blood group and antibody tests done during pregnancy are analyzed centrally at the Blood Service.
The national screening programme checks about 50,000 pregnant people every year. Its goal is to prevent haemolytic disease in the fetus and newborn, and to find pregnancies where treatment is needed.
Haemolytic disease means that the pregnant person’s antibodies start to destroy the fetus’s red blood cells. This can happen during pregnancy or soon after birth. Without treatment, the baby can get anemia, suffer permanent damage, or even die.
Every year, about 120 babies need treatment because of this disease. It happens when the mother and the fetus have different blood groups, causing the mother to form antibodies.
All pregnant people are tested for blood group antibodies at the maternity clinic. The purpose is to find those whose baby may be at risk of haemolytic disease.
The main healthcare contact for a pregnant person is their own maternity clinic.
