What is NOT a result of maternal antibodies affecting fetal blood cells?

The correct choice relates to conditions affecting fetal blood cells due to maternal antibodies. Maternal antibodies can indeed cause various adverse effects on the fetus, primarily through mechanisms such as hemolysis of fetal red blood cells, leading to several clinical manifestations.

High bilirubin levels in the infant, resulting from the breakdown of red blood cells, are a direct consequence of hemolytic conditions facilitated by maternal antibodies. This is due to the rapid degradation of fetal red cells, which releases hemoglobin that is subsequently metabolized to bilirubin, hence leading to hyperbilirubinemia or jaundice in the newborn.

Anemia in the newborn is also a well-documented outcome of maternal antibody impact. When maternal antibodies, such as anti-D or other blood group antibodies, cross the placenta and target fetal blood cells, they can result in significant destruction of these cells, leading to decreased red blood cell count and subsequent anemia.

A positive Direct Antiglobulin Test (DAT) in fetal blood indicates that maternal antibodies are coating the fetal red blood cells, a condition frequently seen in hemolytic diseases of the newborn. The presence of these antibodies on the red blood cell surface can be detected through laboratory testing, confirming an immune-mediated response.

In contrast, an increased fetal heart