Since July 2017, the maternal RHD fetal genotyping test has been registered with French Health authorities for Rh- women, providing substantial public health savings. Practiced by specialized laboratories and approved biologists in prenatal biological diagnosis, fetal RHD genotyping on maternal blood is a non-invasive test prescribed by health professionals (gynecologists obstetricians and midwives) to Rh- patients, from the 11th SA: it is now reimbursed by the French Health Authorities.

First non-invasive RHD test now
reimbursed by the French Public Health Fund

Background: In the absence of a fetal RHD test, a routine prescription of immunoglobulin injections was established for each RhD- pregnant woman, regardless of the status of the fetus. This important medical advance aims to detect the RHD gene of the fetus within the fetal DNA circulating in the maternal blood, thanks to a simple venous blood test in the RhD- pregnant woman. Its non-invasive nature, therefore without any risk for the fetus and the mother, allows its generalization to all RhD- pregnant women. It prevents Anti-D immunoglobulin injections for the 30-40% of RhD-pregnant women RhD- and target immuno-prophylaxis Anti-D only to pregnant women with Rh+ fetus. Recommended by the College of French Obstetricians Gynecologists since 2006, and by the High Authority of Health since 2011, this test is a real progress for pregnant women Rh-. Expected since 2011 and published in the Official Journal of 22 June 2017, the decision of the national health insurance fund to reimburse this biological examination also allows all these pregnant women Rh- to benefit from its support. Routinely prescribed and reimbursed, it will:
• target the prophylaxis of fetal maternal incompatibility Rhesus D to only at-risk pregnancies,
• adapt and alleviate, where possible, the surveillance methods for D negative Rhesus women.

This innovative test has such benefits that its reimbursement allows a better, more relevant, earlier patient care, the implementation of preventive measures at the best time, giving them the best chance to live their pregnancy serenely. By prescribing it to all RhD- pregnant women, it ensures the management of targeted immunoglobulin injections, only when they are needed, which makes it possible to answer a triple problem:
• save public health money,
• make savings in relatively complex to build stocks of this human-made product,
• avoid injections that are not completely safe.