Neonatal Neutropenia Due to Maternal Isoimmunization

A family is reported with multiple cases of neonatal neutropenia. The firstchild died of severe infection, the second was asymptomatic, the third andthe fourth children had a benign course of agranulocytosis which lasted about10 weeks and was followed by spontaneous recovery. A potent leukoagglutininwas found in the maternal serum which agglutinated leukocytes obtained fromthe father and all three available children but failed to agglutinate themother’s own cells. Identical leukoagglutinin was found in the last baby’sserum; it disappeared after the baby recovered. The disorder is tentativelynamed "isoimmune neonatal neutropenia" and is considered to represent acondition analogous to erythroblastosis fetalis.

Submitted on May 4, 1959 Accepted on July 28, 1959