What is Kleihauer blood test?
Emma Horne
Published Mar 23, 2026
What is Kleihauer blood test?
The Kleihauer–Betke (“KB”) test, Kleihauer–Betke (“KB”) stain, Kleihauer test or acid elution test, is a blood test used to measure the amount of fetal hemoglobin transferred from a fetus to a mother’s bloodstream.
What is the Kleihauer test used for?
The Kleihauer Betke test is utilized to determine if there is fetal blood in maternal circulation, with a threshold of 5 mL. The rosette test is performed by incubating the Rh-negative maternal venous whole blood sample with anti-Rho(D) immune globulin.
What is a Kleihauer test in pregnancy?
The Kleihauer-Betke test (KB) is a blood test used during pregnancy to quantify the amount of fetal blood found in the maternal circulation.
When is a Kleihauer test done?
This test is offered to Rh D Negative pregnant women 11+2 – 24 weeks gestation, but usually at 16 weeks gestation. Small amounts of the unborn baby’s DNA is present in the mother’s blood.
How does anti D work?
Anti-D works by destroying any RhD positive blood from the baby present in the mother’s circulation before she can make her own antibodies. This means that the mother does not have the antibodies available to cause HDN in any future pregnancies with an RhD positive baby.
What does a positive fetal screen mean?
Test description If the test is positive, a quantitative test such as the Kleihauer-Betke Quantitative test is required to determine the volume of fetal-maternal hemorrhage and estimate the amount of Rh Immune Globulin (RhIG) needed to prevent alloimmunization.
What does a positive hemoglobin test mean?
Positive results mean Hgb S is present and sickle cells were seen. Your healthcare provider will confirm these results with hemoglobin electrophoresis. A positive result may also mean that you have another blood disease and may need more tests.
How does the anti d injection work?
Anti-D immunoglobulin after birth The injection will destroy any RhD positive blood cells that may have crossed over into your bloodstream during the delivery. This means your blood won’t have a chance to produce antibodies and will significantly decrease the risk of your next baby having rhesus disease.
What is a positive contraction stress test?
A positive result If your baby’s heart beats more slowly after more than half of your contractions, the test result is positive, signaling that your baby may be under stress and unable to tolerate labor contractions.
What is Anti-D positive?
This test will tell you if your baby’s blood group is D-Positive or D-Negative. With multiple pregnancies, a positive result would mean that at least one of the babies is D-Positive, and the mother should still receive routine antenatal anti-D injections. A negative result means that all the babies are D-Negative.
What causes Anti-D antibody?
Anti-D is routinely and effectively used to prevent hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) caused by the antibody response to the D antigen on fetal RBCs. Anti-D is a polyclonal IgG product purified from the plasma of D-alloimmunized individuals.
What does a negative fetal screen mean?
Negative result means no abnormal amount of fetal red blood cells has been detected in the maternal circulation. Comments: This test is designed to detect patients who may need more than one dose of Rhogam due to a significant fetal bleed.
What is the Kleihauer test?
It is usually performed on Rh-negative mothers to determine the required dose of Rho (D) immune globulin (RhIg) to inhibit formation of Rh antibodies in the mother and prevent Rh disease in future Rh-positive children. It is named after Enno Kleihauer and Klaus Betke who described it in 1957.
What is the difference between Kleihauer-Betke and apt tests?
Since the test is only a qualitative determination of the presence of fetal hemoglobin in maternal blood, the quantitative Kleihauer-Betke test is more commonly used. Finally, the Apt test can be used after birth ( postpartum hemorrhage) if the newborn has bloody vomiting, bloody stool, or active bleeding from the nasogastric tube.
What is the Kleihauer-Betke test in pregnancy?
Results of a prospective study [9] found that a 4-hour monitoring period and a Kleihauer-Betke test (to detect fetal cells in a maternal blood sample) identified all pregnant patients who had an immediate adverse outcome after trauma.
What is the Kleihauer-Betke test for maternal trauma?
An article published in 2004 concluded that a Kleihauer-Betke (KB) test is necessary in all cases of maternal trauma, as clinical evaluation is not sensitive enough for determination of risk of pre-term labour. It accurately predicts the risk of preterm labor after maternal trauma whereas the article concluded that clinical assessment does not.