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# Pregnancy - Whole blood and components

## Essential information

Obligatory

  Must not donate if:

  1. Pregnant.
  2. Less than 6 months have passed since delivery or termination.
  3. Resulted in a malignant (invasive) hydatidiform mole.
  4. Resulted in a non-malignant (non-invasive) hydatidiform mole and treatment and follow-up is ongoing.
Discretionary

  If the pregnancy ended before the 12th week of pregnancy without significant blood loss, if follow-up is complete and it is more than 7 days from last dose of methotrexate (if taken), and it is agreed by a physician member of the designated clinical support, accept.

## Supporting information

See if relevant
  - Anaemia (iron deficiency)
  - Fertility
  - Malignancy
  - Surgery
  - Transfusion
Additional information

  During pregnancy, particularly in the later part, a woman loses a considerable amount of iron to the baby. It is important to allow time for this lost iron to be replaced through the mother's diet. Donating during pregnancy will make it very likely that the pregnant woman will become short of iron and this may lead to anaemia and even threaten the pregnancy. Iron usage in pregnancy occurs mostly between 12 and 35 weeks either to increase the number of red cell of the mother, or for the growth of the baby (after 30 weeks). Pregnancies of less than 12 weeks have little impact on the mother's irons stores. However, if there was significant bleeding due to a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy a full 6 months from the date of this event is advisable before the lady donates.

  Methotrexate is now increasingly used to medically treat ectopic pregnancy, to avoid surgery and protect the fallopian tube. This method of treatment, if successful, is not associated with significant bleeding but a week is needed for any residual methotrexate to clear the system.

  A mother can donate if she is still breast-feeding, provided that a longer period than 6 months from delivery has passed.

  If a woman is trying to become pregnant they can donate if they have not missed a period and are not under investigation or on infertility treatment. If they are on treatment or under investigation for infertility, see the Fertility entry.

  Hydatidiform moles may be malignant. If they are, the woman will not be able to donate. In other cases it is important for treatment and follow-up to be completed so that the possibility of malignancy is excluded.

  Repeat anti-HLA, anti-HNA and/or anti-HPA antibody testing should be undertaken when donors return after pregnancy, regardless of duration, when:

  - it is intended to collect components for which the blood service has implemented TRALI risk reduction measures based on antibody testing, or
  - it is intended to collect HPA-matched components.

Reason for change:
  Advice to consider repeat HLA, HNA or HPA antibody testing after pregnancy has been added.
Version details:

  WB-DSG Edition 203 Release 43 (28 May 2019)

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