”The Rh factor can cause problems if you are Rh negative and your fetus is Rh positive”

Emobileclinic Trending Topic:Rhesus (Rh) Factor

Just as there are different major blood groups, such as type A and type B, there also is an Rh factor. The Rhesus (Rh) factor is a protein that can be present on the surface of red blood cells. Most people have the Rh factor—they are Rh positive. Others do not have the Rh factor—they are Rh negative.

The Rh factor is inherited through parents’ genes to their children. If the mother is Rh negative and the father is Rh positive, the fetus can inherit the Rh gene from the father and could be either Rh positive or Rh negative. If the mother and father are both Rh negative, the baby also will be Rh negative.

The Rh factor can cause problems if you are Rh negative and your fetus is Rh positive. This is called Rh incompatibility. These problems usually do not occur in a first pregnancy, but they can occur in a later pregnancy. When an Rh-negative mother’s blood comes into contact with blood from her Rh-positive fetus, it causes the Rh-negative mother to make antibodies against the Rh factor. These antibodies attack the Rh factor as if it were a harmful substance. A person with Rh-negative blood who makes Rh antibodies is called Rh sensitized.

During pregnancy, the woman and fetus do not share blood systems. However, a small amount of blood from the fetus can cross the placenta into the woman’s system. This sometimes may happen during pregnancy, labor, and birth. It also can occur if an Rh-negative woman has had any of the following during pregnancy:

Amniocentesis

Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)

Bleeding during pregnancy

Manual rotation of a baby in a breech presentation before labor

Blunt trauma to the abdomen during pregnancy.

During an Rh-negative woman’s first pregnancy with an Rh-positive fetus, serious problems usually do not occur because the baby often is born before the woman’s body develops many antibodies. If preventive treatment is not given during the first pregnancy and the woman later becomes pregnant with an Rh-positive fetus, the baby is at risk of Rh disease.

It also is possible to develop antibodies after a miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, or an induced abortion. If an Rh-negative woman becomes pregnant after one of these events, she does not receive treatment, and the fetus is Rh positive, the fetus may be at risk of Rh-related problems. Problems during pregnancy can occur when Rh antibodies from an Rh-sensitized woman cross the placenta and attack the blood of an Rh-positive fetus. The Rh antibodies destroy some of the fetal red blood cells. This causes hemolytic anemia, where red blood cells are destroyed faster than the body can replace them. Red blood cells carry oxygen to all parts of the body. Without enough red blood cells, the fetus will not get enough oxygen. Hemolytic anemia can lead to serious illness. Severe hemolytic anemia may even be fatal to the fetus.

A blood test, called an antibody screen, can show if you have developed antibodies to Rh-positive blood and how many antibodies have been made. If you are Rh negative and there is a possibility that your baby is Rh positive, your health care provider may request this test during your first trimester and again during week 28 of pregnancy.

It is important to know that if you are Rh negative, you will be given a shot of Rh immunoglobulin (RhIg . RhIg is made from donated blood. When given to a nonsensitized Rh-negative person, it targets any Rh-positive cells in the bloodstream and prevents the production of Rh antibodies. When given to an Rh-negative woman who has not yet made antibodies against the Rh factor, RhIg can prevent fetal hemolytic anemia in a later pregnancy.

RhIg is given to Rh-negative women in the following situations:

At around the 28th week of pregnancy to prevent Rh sensitization for the rest of the pregnancy

Within 72 hours after the delivery of an Rh-positive infant

After a miscarriage, abortion, or ectopic pregnancy

After amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling

A Rh sensitized person will be monitored during pregnancy to check the condition of your fetus. If tests show that your baby has severe anemia, it may be necessary to deliver your baby early (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) or give a blood transfusion while your baby is still in your uterus (through the umbilical cord). If the anemia is mild, your baby may be delivered at the normal time. After delivery, your baby may need a transfusion to replace the blood cells.