Preventing Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn: The Discovery of RhoGAM and the "Man with the Golden Arm"

Poor Historians: Misadventures in Medical History

In the 1930's (and before), there was a mysterious cause of infant mortality. An astonishing number of newborns were victim to a mismatch between their blood type, and that of their mothers. Doctors at the time were not sure why this was happening. This is the story of the discovery of the cure for that condition and a man who went above and beyond for six decades to help prevent it in his part of the world.
Sources:
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Harrison_(blood_donor)
-https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/11/health/james-harrison-blood-donor-retires-trnd/index.html
-https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2018/05/12/for-six-decades-the-man-with-the-golden-arm-donated-blood-and-saved-2-4-million-babies/
-https://www.npr.org/2015/06/14/414397424/man-with-the-golden-arm-donates-blood-thats-saved-2-million-babies
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rh_disease

Support the show

-----
Patreon Page (support the show)
-----
Submit a Question for Non-Medical Opinions Segment (website form with instructions)
-----
Podcast Linktree (social media links / reviews / ratings)
-----