A newborn with jaundice and Rh+ blood, and the mother has Rh- blood is an example of what type of factor?

The scenario presented describes a situation where a newborn has jaundice and is Rh positive, while the mother is Rh negative. This situation exemplifies an acquired factor, specifically in the context of hemolytic disease of the newborn due to Rh incompatibility. In this case, the mother’s immune system may produce antibodies against the Rh factor from the baby's blood, leading to hemolysis of the infant's red blood cells and resulting in conditions such as jaundice.

The term 'acquired factor' is appropriate here as the newborn's condition is not due to genetic inheritance but results from the maternal-fetal blood group incompatibility that arises during pregnancy or childbirth, which the infant must contend with after birth. The jaundice is caused by the accumulation of bilirubin resulting from the breakdown of red blood cells induced by the mother's antibodies, which is a direct result of the interaction between the mother's Rh negative blood type and the baby's Rh positive blood type.

Congenital inherited disorders, inherited birth defects, and neonatal conditions unrelated to blood type do not accurately describe this scenario, as they either involve genetic mutations or conditions not associated with the Rh factor. Thus, the newborn's jaundice is properly identified as an acquired factor linked to Rh incompatibility.