Anti-D - saving babies

What is anti-D?

Anti-D is a plasma product produced from the blood of selected Rh (D) negative donors. The product is given to pregnant women who are Rh (D) negative to prevent their babies from developing Haemolytic Disease of the Newborn, or HDN.

Who needs anti-D?

On average, approximately 17% of mothers in Australia will need anti-D injections during each of their pregnancies and after the birth of an Rh (D) positive baby.

How is anti-D made?

Anti-D can only be produced from the blood of a select group of donors. These donors all have the Rh (D) negative blood type but they also have an antibody called anti-D. Very few people, and even fewer donors, have anti-D, so we rely heavily on these donors for this important product.

The Anti-D program

To maximise the supply of anti-D to meet demand, we have established a special program called the Anti-D program. In this program, we boost the anti-D levels of donors who already have anti-D. In addition, we can stimulate development of anti-D in specially selected donors who initially do not have it. This means that if you are a male or a female past child-bearing years, you may be eligible to join our Anti-D program.

How can I help?

Currently the number of anti-D blood donors in Australia is only just sufficient. It is necessary to constantly maintain the number of donors and to ensure we can cater for increases in demand. Therefore, we are constantly in need of more donors to ensure that we can continue to meet the future needs of Rh (D) negative mothers and their babies.

To find out about becoming an anti-D donor, please speak to one of our coordinators:

NSW/ACT
20 Elizabeth Street, SYDNEY, NSW 2000
Tel: 02 9235 6813 or 02 9235 6822

WA/NT
290 Wellington Street, PERTH, WA 6000
Tel: 08 9421 2364

SA
301 Pirie Street, ADELAIDE, SA 5000
Tel: 08 8112 1358

QLD
288 Edward Street, BRISBANE, QLD 4000
Tel: 07 3309 4925

VIC/TAS
51-65 Clarke Street, SOUTHBANK, VIC 3006
Tel: 03 8866 2016

Anti-D brochure (391 KB)