Daniel1555:
I think that there might be situations during birth or c-section where a transfusion is absolutely lifesaving (as there are a lot of sisters who died during childbirth (at least some cases in the media).
I've talked about a complication of pregnancy called PIH (Pregnancy Induced Hypertension) before. It needs to be monitored closely and managed effectively. One of the further complications of out-of-control PIH is called HELLP syndrome (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes, Low Platelet count). The red blood cells start breaking down and platelets are being destroyed due to stress on the liver. This can rapidly cause DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation) and becomes a medical emergency, threatening the lives of both mother and unborn child.
With severe PIH and HELLP syndrome, the most effective treatment is delivering the baby as soon as possible - sometimes extremely prematurely - and treating the mother with magnesium sulphate. If the conditions are such that DIC develops, infusions of red blood cells and platelets are really the only effective treatment to keep the mother from exsanguination.
Postpartum haemorrhage is also a very real complication - it's defined as a blood loss of greater than 500 mL of blood (approximately 1.5 units) with a normal delivery, and up to 1000 mL with a c-section. Severe postpartum haemorrhage is a blood loss of greater than 1000 mL. It can occur immediately after delivery or it can be delayed. It is the most common cause of perinatal maternal mortality in the developed world. The American College of OB/GYNs estimates that approximately 140,000 women die of PPH every year - that's one woman every 4 minutes.
The fact that these conditions only happen with pregnancy and therefore NEVER happen to men, has made me extremely angry with the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society. Ironically (or hypocritically, take your pick), one of the first "fractions" permitted were clotting factors used to treat haemophilia. Haemophilia is a recessive, sex-linked, X chromosome disorder - thus it appears mostly in male patients. The Watchtower Society shows its utter disdain for pregnant women and children by denying them potentially life-saving treatments, while favoring treatments that improve the quality of life for men - potentially Microphone Handlers™, Ministerial Servants™, Elders™, travelling Overseers™, Bethel workers™, and Governing Body™ members.
Another potentially dangerous condition of pregnancy is called isoimmunization, wherein a female with Rh-negative blood is exposed to Rh-positive blood from her unborn child. This causes the mother to develop antibodies that attack the Rh-positive blood cells of her unborn baby, causing them to break down. The child usually requires intensive treatments with phototherapy to mitigate the effects of jaundice caused by Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn. Isoimmunization can easily be prevented by giving the mother an injection of a blood fraction called "anti-D"/WinRho/RhoGam, which prevents the accumulation of antibodies in her blood stream. The injections are typically given around 26 - 28 weeks' gestation and within 72 hours of delivery. The effects of isoimmunization are compounded with each untreated pregnancy, with the accumulation of more antibodies in the mother's bloodstream, thus each subsequent pregnancy is more dangerous for the unborn baby than the previous one.
While the WTS permits the use of this fraction, many JW couples (i.e., the husband) will refuse the injection - basically they want to practice the doctrine more stringently, believing that will prove their Loyalty to Jehovah™ all the more. They are deluded in thinking that Jehovah will protect their babies because of their faithfulness, despite the biological processes that they believe Jehovah created in the first place.
You can't fix stupid.