ABSTRACT
One obstetric emergency is ante-partum haemorrhage, which means that the placenta has come away from the wall of the womb. This causes an interruption of the oxygen supply from the mother to the fetus. This can lead to a severely compromised baby at birth. The blood lost during an ante-partum haemorrhage mainly comes from the mother; however, the fetus can also lose blood, which again compromises the oxygenation of the fetal tissues. Recognition of the difference between a pale baby caused by white apnoea as opposed to haemorrhage is difficult, but the presence of an ante-partum haemorrhage should alert the attending doctor to the possibility of fetal anaemia. This requires urgent unmatched blood transfusion, normally via an umbilical vein catheter.
