UNAIR NEWS – Faculty of Medicine students (FK) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) have won the public poster competition organized by the Asian Medical Students Association (AMSA) Indonesia. Agnes Florecita and Octavia Lianny Putri Gode from the Faculty of Medicine (FK UNAIR) won third place for raising the issue of hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN), a disease that attacks the fetus in the womb.

Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn

Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) is generally caused by Rhesus (Rh) and ABO incompatibility between the mother and fetus. When an Rh negative mother carries an Rh positive baby, the mother’s immune system produces antibodies against the baby’s blood cells.

Hemolytic disease of the newborn can cause the baby to have anemia, jaundice, and hydrops fetalis. However, the disease occurs only in European countries and rarely in Asia. Only a handful of Asians experience it, including Indonesia.

“This disease is rare in Indonesia, maybe 1 case in a thousand, and this disease is common in Europe. However, we raise this issue because it is rarely raised and it attacks mysteriously. Maybe the pregnant woman looks healthy on the outside or physically, but she doesn’t know what’s inside the womb,” said Agnes.

In her statement, Lianny said before married or expecting a baby, couples should check their health, to prevent Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn case from happening. A rhesus difference can attack the fetus in the womb.

“Prevention can be done before pregnancy to see if there is a difference between the father’s and mother’s blood type and rhesus. If, for instance, the baby in the womb can be given an antibody injection, after having anemia and other symptoms, the appropriate procedures can be carried out,” says Lianny.

Journey

From a challenging starting point to the victory, their journey will be remembered as an inspiration for others to fight courageously for the championship.

Meanwhile, Agnes admitted that she had to do the final presentation alone. It inspired Agnes and Lianny to create a different innovative presentation method from other participants.

“During the final, I had to present alone because Lianny was unable to attend. We used this to find ideas on how to create a different and unique presentation method. From this incident, Lianny and I took the initiative to use story telling method and sing a song about this disease,” said Agnes.

The process of learning about the disease was supervised by a medical specialist and AMSA UNAIR members. Agnes admitted that she was very excited and willing to travel between Surabaya and Jakarta to continue her studies.

“By participating in this competition, I hope I can be excited to participate in international level events. For those who are struggling to participate in the competition, never be pessimistic and try to go through the processes. If the results are not suitable, try again and don’t give up,” said Lianny.

Author: Marshafyennda Scarbella

Editor: Feri Fenoria