Augustina Isioma Ikusemoro: ABO Typing Is Not the Same in Infants and Adults
Augustina Isioma Ikusemoro, Hematology and Transfusion Medicine Specialist at Sharjah Blood Transfusion and Research Center, shared a post on Linkedin:
“ABO typing is not the same in infants and adults.
And misunderstanding this can affect patient safety.
Many people assume blood grouping works the same way at every age.
In reality, biology changes the interpretation.
This visual highlights one of the most important – and often overlooked — principles in transfusion medicine:
Newborns are not small adults.
In infants:
- Only forward grouping is reliable
- Reverse grouping is often weak or absent
- Detected antibodies are usually maternal IgG
- A and B antigens may be not fully expressed yet
- Testing is often performed to investigate ABO incompatibility in neonatal jaundice
In adults:
- Both forward and reverse grouping are required
- Naturally occurring anti-A and anti-B antibodies are present
- Antigen expression is fully developed
- Results are usually strong and concordant
Understanding this difference prevents:
- misinterpretation of results
- incorrect transfusion decisions
- avoidable neonatal risk
Because safe transfusion practice begins with one principle:
Interpret the test in the context of the patient’s age.
Right test.
Right time.
Right interpretation.
Better outcomes.
Signature of Blood Doki
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