A nurse is caring for a client who has just delivered her first newborn. The nurse anticipates hyperbilirubinemia due to Rh incompatibility. The nurse should understand that hyperbilirubinemia occurs with Rh incompatibility for which of the following reasons?

The correct answer is D because in Rh incompatibility, if the mother is Rh-negative and the baby is Rh-positive, the mother's immune system can produce anti-Rh antibodies that cross the placenta and attack the baby's red blood cells, causing hemolysis and leading to hyperbilirubinemia. Choice A is incorrect because a history of receiving Rh-negative blood does not lead to Rh incompatibility. Choice B is incorrect because it describes the mechanism of ABO incompatibility, not Rh incompatibility. Choice C is incorrect because it describes the process of Rh incompatibility but reverses the roles of the mother and baby.