”Treatment focuses on preventing the effects of the incompatibility”

Emobileclinic Trending Topic: Rhesus (Rh) Incompatibility?

When a mother and her unborn baby carry different Rh protein factors, their condition is called Rh incompatibility. It occurs when a mother is Rh-negative and her baby is Rh- positive. The Rh factor is a specific protein found on the surface of your red blood cells. Like the blood type, one inherits the Rh factor type from ones parents. Most people are Rh-positive, but a small percentage of people are Rh-negative. This means they lack the Rh protein. A positive or negative symbol after your blood type indicates your Rh factor. For example, “blood type: AB+” might be written on your medical record.Your Rh factor does not directly affect your health. However, Rh factor becomes important during pregnancy.

If a woman is Rh-negative and her baby is Rh-positive, then her body will approach the Rh-positive protein as something that’s foreign.

This means that if blood cells from your baby cross your bloodstream, which can happen during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, your immune system will make antibodies against your baby’s red blood cells. Antibodies are parts of your body’s immune system. They destroy foreign substances.

If you have an Rh-negative blood type, you’re considered sensitized to your baby once your body has made these antibodies. This means that your body might send these antibodies across the placenta to attack your baby’s red blood cells. Your placenta is the organ that connects you and your baby. Medication can help with this condition to ensure that both you and your baby are healthy.

What Are the Symptoms of Rh Incompatibility?

Your unborn baby’s symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening. When your antibodies attack your baby’s red blood cells, hemolytic disease can occur. This means your baby’s red blood cells are destroyed.

When your baby’s healthy red blood cells are destroyed, bilirubin will build up in their bloodstream. Bilirubin is a chemical that’s created from the breakdown of red blood cells. Too much bilirubin is a sign that the liver, which is responsible for processing old blood cells, is having trouble.

Your baby may have one or more of the following symptoms if their bilirubin levels are high after birth: yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, which is called jaundice lethargy, low muscle tone. These symptoms will subside once treatment for the Rh incompatibility is completed.

Who Is at Risk for Rh Incompatibility?

Any woman who is Rh-negative and is having a child with a father who is Rh-positive or with an unknown Rh status is at risk for Rh incompatibility. It takes time for the body to develop antibodies, so firstborn children are usually not affected. However, if a mother became sensitized because of a miscarriage or abortion, her first birth may be affected by Rh incompatibility.

A mother can be exposed Rh-positive blood during certain prenatal tests. One example is amniocentesis. In this test, your doctor uses a needle to remove some of the fluid from the sac around your baby. This fluid can be tested for problems in the developing fetus.

Diagnosing Rh Incompatibility

A blood test to determine your Rh status will likely be done at your first prenatal visit with your doctor. If you’re Rh-negative, your partner may also be tested. If your partner is also Rh-negative you don’t have anything to worry about. If your partner is Rh-positive and you’re Rh-negative, your doctor will look for these signs of Rh incompatibility:

A positive direct Coombs test is a sign of Rh incompatibility. This test uses a blood sample to look for the presence of cell-destroying antibodies on the surface of your red blood cells.

Higher-than-normal levels of bilirubin in your infant’s blood is a sign of Rh incompatibility. In a full-term baby who is less than 24 hours old, the levels of bilirubin should be less than 6.0 milligrams per deciliter.

Signs of red blood cell destruction in your infant’s blood are signs of Rh incompatibility. This can be indicated by the shape and structure of the red blood cells when examined under a microscope. Your doctor can test your baby’s blood for the presence of antibodies that are breaking down the red blood cells.

Treating Rh Incompatibility

Treatment focuses on preventing the effects of the incompatibility. In mild cases, the baby can be treated after birth with:

a series of blood transfusions

hydrating fluids

electrolytes, which are elements that regulate metabolism

phototherapy

Phototherapy involves keeping your baby near fluorescent lights to help reduce the bilirubin in their blood. These procedures may be repeated until the Rh-negative antibodies and excess bilirubin have been removed from your baby’s blood. Whether it must be repeated depends on the severity of your baby’s condition.

If you’re pregnant and your doctor determines that you’ve already developed antibodies against your baby, your pregnancy will be closely monitored.

You can prevent the effects of Rh incompatibility by getting an injection of Rh immune globulins (RhIg) during your first trimester, during a miscarriage, or while having any bleeding during your pregnancy. This blood product contains antibodies to the Rh factor. If your baby has Rh-positive blood, you should get a second injection a few days after you give birth.

In very rare and serious cases, a series of special blood transfusions can be performed while your baby is in your uterus or after delivery. However, the success of RhIg shots has made this treatment only necessary in less than 1 percent of cases of Rh incompatibility in the United States, according to the Nemours Foundation.

Preventing Rh Incompatibility

This condition is preventable. If you think you may be pregnant and have an Rh-negative blood type, you should talk with your doctor to determine the best plan. If the father of your child is Rh-positive or his blood type is unknown, receiving preventive treatment with immune globulins will prevent serious effects.