History of the Rhesus factor and of neonatal jaundice

The history of icterus and neonatal jaundice has been recorded since the 17th century, when a French midwife first described jaundice (jaune) in twins. In 1940, Alexander Wiener and Karl Landsteiner discovered the Rh blood group, and they investigated the isoimmunization via antigen transfer across the placenta from the fetus. Other blood group systems implicated in isoimmunization were discovered between 1901 and 1965. Between 1940-1960, many studies have focused on the etiology of hemolytic disease of the newborn, on incompatibility in the Rh system, cholestasis, metabolic diseases, inhibitors of breast milk, and the association between prematurity and jaun-dice or extremely nuclear jaundice. It is the merit of AW Liley, in 1963, who described the diagram of the same name based on the level of bilirubin in the amniotic fluid and who performed the first fetal transfusions for fetal anemia. Last decades, non-invasive methods of diagnosis and treatment were described.