The severity of symptoms of haemolytic disease in newborns is largely consistent with the degree of haemolysis. Most cases of ABO haemolytic disease are not serious and the child has no significant abnormalities other than jaundice.
However, the symptoms of Rh haemolytic disease are usually more severe, and in severe cases fetal oedema and even stillbirth may occur. Children with severe Rh haemolysis may be born with severe anaemia or with heart failure, and may even suffer brain damage, leading to sequelae such as cerebral palsy and mental retardation as well as death.