PT Health Watch: What expectant parents should know about Rhesus incompatibility
Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
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- Rhesus incompatibility occurs when an Rh-negative mother carries an Rh-positive baby, potentially leading to the mother's immune system attacking the fetus's red blood cells.
- This condition typically affects subsequent pregnancies, as antibodies develop after initial exposure, which usually happens late in the first pregnancy or during childbirth.
- The condition can be prevented with timely administration of Rh immunoglobulin (RhoGAM), which stops the mother's immune system from producing harmful antibodies.
Expectant parents need to be aware of Rhesus incompatibility, a potentially serious pregnancy complication that can arise from differences in blood factors. This condition occurs when a woman with Rh-negative blood carries a baby who is Rh-positive. The mother's immune system may mistakenly identify the baby's Rh-positive red blood cells as foreign invaders and begin to produce antibodies against them.
The condition can be prevented through the timely administration of Rh immunoglobulin, commonly known as RhoGAM.
While Rhesus incompatibility rarely affects a first pregnancy, it poses a significant risk for subsequent pregnancies. This is because the mother's immune system is typically exposed to the baby's blood only towards the end of the first pregnancy or during childbirth. Once these antibodies develop, they can cross the placenta in future pregnancies and attack the red blood cells of another Rh-positive baby, leading to severe complications.
RhoGAM is routinely administered during pregnancy, usually between 28 and 32 weeks’ gestation, after events that may expose the mother to foetal blood, such as miscarriage or invasive procedures, and within 72 hours after delivery if the baby is confirmed to be Rh-positive.
The Rh factor is an inherited protein found on the surface of red blood cells. Individuals with the protein are Rh-positive, while those without it are Rh-negative. Normally, the mother's and baby's blood remain separate. However, small amounts of fetal blood can enter the mother's bloodstream during events like miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, invasive prenatal procedures, abdominal trauma, falls, accidents, labor, or delivery. If the baby is Rh-positive, this exposure can trigger antibody production in an Rh-negative mother, a process called sensitization.
Rh-positive individuals naturally tolerate Rh-positive blood, whereas Rh-negative individuals can develop antibodies after exposure to Rh-positive blood.
Obstetrician and gynecologist Qudus Lawal explained that sensitization can be effectively prevented through the timely administration of Rh immunoglobulin, commonly known as RhoGAM. This injection prevents an Rh-negative woman's immune system from producing antibodies against Rh-positive blood. RhoGAM is routinely given during pregnancy, typically between 28 and 32 weeks' gestation, after events that might expose the mother to fetal blood, and within 72 hours after delivery if the baby is Rh-positive. Without prompt treatment, Rhesus incompatibility can lead to severe fetal anemia, jaundice after birth, and in critical cases, pregnancy loss.
If left unmanaged, Rhesus incompatibility can lead to serious health problems for the baby.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Premium Times. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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