The UK government banned anyone who had received a blood transfusion since January 1980 from donating blood. Since 1999 there has been a ban in the UK for using UK blood to manufacture fractional products such as albumin. Whilst these restrictions may go some way to preventing a self-sustaining epidemic of secondary infections, the number of infected blood donations is unknown and could be considerable. In June 2013 the government was warned that deaths, then at 176, could rise five-fold through blood transfusions.On 28 May 2002, the United States Food and Drug Administration instituted a policy that excludes from blood donation anyone having spent at least six months in certain European countries (or three months in the United Kingdom) from 1980 to 1996. Given the large number of U.S. military personnel and their dependents residing in Europe, it was expected that over 7% of donors would be deferred due to the policy. Later changes to this policy have relaxed the restriction to a cumulative total of five years or more of civilian travel in European countries (six months or more if military). The three-month restriction on travel to the UK, however, has not been changed.In New Zealand, the New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) in 2000 introduced measures to preclude permanently donors having resided in the United Kingdom (including the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands) for a total of six months or more between January 1980 and December 1996.
This increases vascular resistance in fetoplacental vascular bed eventually leading to reduction in metabolically active mass of placenta like a vicious cycle. Fetal effects
Placental insufficiency can affect the fetus, causing fetal distress. Placental insufficiency may cause oligohydramnios, preeclampsia, miscarriage or stillbirth. Placental insufficiency is most frequent cause of asymmetric IUGR. Fetal metabolic changes
Metabolic changes occurring in uteroplacental insufficiency:

Fetal hormonal changes
Decrease in overall thyroid function is correlated with fetal hypoxemia. Serum glucagon, adrenaline, noradrenaline levels increase, eventually causing peripheral glycogenolysis and mobilization of fetal hepatic glycogen stores. Fetal hematologic changes
Fetal hypoxemia triggers erythropoietin release. This stimulates RBC production from medullary and extramedullary sites and eventually results in polycythemia. Oxygen carrying capacity of blood is thus increased. Prolonged tissue hypoxemia may cause early release of erythrocytes from maturation sites and thus count of nucleated RBCs in blood increases. These factors, increase in blood viscosity, decrease in cell membrane fluidity and platelet aggregation are important precursors in accelerating placental vascular occlusion. Fetal immunological changes
There is decrease in immunoglobulin, absolute B-cell counts  and total WBC count. T-helper and cytotoxic T-cells are suppressed in proportion of degree of acidemia. These conditions lead to higher infection susceptibility of infant after delivery. Fetal cardiovascular changes
There is decrease in magnitude of umbilical venous volume flow. In response to this, the proportion of umbilical venous blood diverted to fetal heart increases. This eventually leads to elevation of pulmonary vascular resistance and increased right ventricular afterload. This fetal cerebral redistribution
of blood flow is an early response to placental insufficiency.