How to Deal With Rh Incompatibility in Pregnancy

Rhesus (Rh) is a protein found on red blood cells. The Rh factor describes the presence or absence of this protein in a person's blood. Around 85 percent of the population is Rh positive, containing Rh on their red blood cells. However, Rh incompatibility occurs in pregnancy when the mother’s blood is Rh negative and her unborn baby is Rh positive. This can happen if the father is Rh positive and the baby inherits this trait. When Rh incompatibility occurs, there is a risk that the mother’s immune system may identify the baby’s blood as a toxic substance and begin producing antibodies to destroy it. Fortunately, complications surrounding this condition are very preventable.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. The first step in coping with Rh incompatibility is to diagnose it. It is extremely important that a woman starts receiving prenatal care as soon as she discovers she is pregnant. Early detection is critical in preventing complications. Your doctor should begin blood tests to detect possible risk factors such as Rh incompatibility during the first prenatal visit.

2. If you are found to be Rh negative, your doctor will perform another test around the 28th week of pregnancy to find out if there are any Rh antibodies present.

3. If the test shows no occurrence of the antibodies, expecting mothers are typically given an injection of Rh immune globulins (Rho-GAM) to prevent the antibodies from forming.

4. If the test is positive for the presence of Rh antibodies, then the remainder of the pregnancy will be closely monitored to ensure that the levels do not become dangerously high.

5. It is very unusual for the antibodies to reach an unsafe level, but in these rare instances a blood transfusion may be required to replace the baby’s Rh positive red blood cells with Rh negative cells. This is called an exchange transfusion and can be done either while the baby is still in the uterus or after delivery depending on the necessity. However, this is extremely uncommon. Less than 1 percent of all Rh incompatible pregnancies in the United States today require this procedure.

6. During delivery, the baby’s blood and the mother’s blood can mix together, causing the mother’s immune system to become aware of the Rh negative blood and begin building antibodies. This can cause complications for future pregnancies. Therefore, it is standard for the mother to receive another injection of Rho-GAM within 72 hours of delivery.

Tips & Warnings

• Rh incompatibility needs to be treated by a doctor even in pregnancies that result in abortion or miscarriage to prevent complications in subsequent pregnancies.

Resources

• MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Rh incompatibility
• Rhogam

[rockkinmamma]

on 12/18/2008 Great article. I had to get a Rhogam shot and although I knew it was for the RH factor I didn't quite have all the details. Thank you!