WIRhE: Developing Educational Content to Help Eradicate Rh Disease
Name: Kalvis Hornburg
School: Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Class of 2023
Mentors: Brie Stotler MD and Steven Spitalnik, MD
Abstract
Rh disease, or Rh incompatibility, is a disease of the fetus and newborn in which a mother’s blood type does not match the child’s. The mother may then develop antibodies against the child’s blood cells, resulting in hemolytic anemia, hyperbilirubinemia, encephalopathy, and even death. The development of Rh-immunoglobulin over 50 years ago has resulted in the virtual disappearance of the disease across much of Europe, Canada, the US, and Australia. However, despite it being extremely preventable, it remains prevalent and dangerous in other parts of the globe due to issues of access and education. WIRhE, the Worldwide Initiative for Rh Disease Eradication, was founded in 2019 as an organization to help empower and enable the efforts of diverse organizations and individuals across the globe towards Rh disease eradication. Their newly developed website is intended to act as a central source of information and communication for these various parties. Educational materials were produced over the course of the summer, and were aimed at three groups: patients, providers, and researchers. Information pages for both providers, such as doctors, nurses, and midwives, and patients were developed. Patient handouts on blood typing information and a “frequently asked questions” page were also produced. Finally, multiple summaries were compiled on recent and impactful papers in the field.