Abstract
I have been asked to discuss recent developments in medical genetics in relation to conception, pregnancy and birth and this is a tall order to fulfil in twenty-five minutes. Fortunately Professor Polani has already described one big aspect, namely the way in which chromosomal abnormalities affect this interesting period in our lives, and it seems to me that a second big field in which there have been exciting advances is immunology. For example, the reasons why a tissue is rejected are being increasingly understood, and successful organ transplantation seems just round the corner—though on the other hand, why the foetus is not rejected is still something of a mystery. Then there are the disorders resulting from blood group incompatibility, of which the Rhesus situation is much the most important, and one which seemed to me to be highly relevant to the general subject of this symposium. Furthermore, I have a particular interest in it, and I am going to stick to this one point and tell you how I think Rh haemolytic disease may be prevented.
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References
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Clarke, C.A. (1967). Recent Developments in Medical Genetics. In: Platt, T.L., Parkes, A.S. (eds) Social and Genetic Influences on Life and Death. Eugenics Society Symposia. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-6365-9_2
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