Have you heard of RH Incompatibility in Pregnancy? What if a mother and her baby don't have the same RH factor? Here is everything you need to know about RH incompatibility in pregnancy.
What can you read in this article?
- What is RH Factor?
- Diagnosis and Tests for Pregnant Moms
- Effects of RH Incompatibility with the baby
- Treatments and Preventions
What is RH Factor?
The molecules determine blood typing on the red blood cells' (RBCs) surface. Someone’s blood type is classified by the presence and absence of antigens and Rh factor on the blood cells surface.
The most common blood type groups are as following:
- A postive
- A negative
- B positive
- B negative
- AB positive
- AB negative
- O positive
- O negative
The negative and positive sign in the blood groups are known as the Rh factor.
Rhesus factor (RH) is a protein found on the red blood cells. A person with mostly protein found in their blood cells is RH positive. However, you are considered RH negative if there is less protein found in your blood.
The Rh-factor is one of the proteins on red blood cells used in indicating if the blood of two different people is compatible together – such as the blood of a mother and her baby at birth. It is a routine for every pregnancy. A pregnant mother and her baby needs to determine their RH factor during pregnancy to avoid serious complications.
Then what is RH incompatibility?
If an Rh-positive man and an Rh-negative woman have a baby, the fetus may inherit the RH-positive blood inherited from the father. Most of the children born to an Rh-positive father and Rh-negative mother will be Rh-positive.
RH Incompatibility occurs when a pregnant mom doesn’t match her baby’s RH factor. It usually happens when a pregnant mom is RH negative while her baby is RH positive.
Having RH negative is not an illness, however, it can greatly affect your pregnancy. Here's why,
The baby’s blood cells will cross the mother’s bloodstream during labor, delivery, and pregnancy. A mother’s immune system makes antibodies against a foreign object.
RH negative protein is considered a foreign object to RH positive. It means a mother’s antibodies can destroy the baby’s blood cells.
Diagnosis and tests for pregnant moms
For most mothers, blood tests can diagnose Rh incompatibility in pregnancy. If a woman became pregnant, an obstetrician would do tests to determine if they are Rh-negative.
Blood typing and Rh factor screening isn't done with only blood donations. It can also help in detecting Rh incompatibility in pregnancy.
Doctors usually do this kind of test with a pregnant mom's routine first-trimester blood work. For a pregnant mom experiencing bleeding in the vagina, they should make a diagnosis right away.
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If a mother is an Rh-negative blood, their doctor may order another blood test, called an antibody screen. This test checks whether a mother's blood has Rh antibodies.
If their antibody screen comes back positive, they are at risk for Rh incompatibility with the baby.
- On the other hand, if a mother Rh-negative and their antibody screen is negative, they will be given Rh immunoglobulin to prevent any antibody formation.
What is an Rh factor screening test?
The procedure that determines the blood cells from a person Rh protein on the surface of their blood cell is called the RH screening test.
This method is performed in the hand or arm. Collected sample blood from the vein by the doctor will determine the result.
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Effects of RH Incompatibility with the baby
The antibodies attacking the baby’s blood cells can make it rupture and swell. This condition is commonly known as hemolytic.
Hemolytic is an RH disease that can make the baby’s blood count low. These effects can result in liver failure, and heart failure in the baby. Doctors may treat the condition depending on its severity.
Mild cases of this condition don’t need necessary treatment, but for severe cases, a baby can receive blood transfusion that can help in replacing their red blood cells.
In some cases, your baby may also have the following conditions:
Once the baby's red blood cells are destroyed by the antibodies, high levels of bilirubin might occur. Bilirubin is the yellowish substance in a person's blood.
Too much bilirubin can cause damage to the liver, this includes:
-
Jaundice
It is a condition in which your skin, whites in the eyes, and mucous membrane turn yellow because of a high level of bilirubin. Most babies born with RH incompatibility tend to have newborn jaundice.
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Lethargy
It is a symptom that causes severe fatigue and lack of energy.
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Low muscle tone
It is a condition where the muscles become floppy. This condition is also called hypotonia.
Babies with hypotonia may have poor posture, increased flexibility, and get tired easily. They also have no control with their neck muscles, so their heads always flop down.
High bilirubin levels is not a life-threatening condition, but it is always important to monitor and check. Babies who developed jaundice should need immediate help from a doctor to prevent serious conditions.
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Guess what? Your child’s blood group can be different from yours!
Blood Transfusion
In rare cases, if the RH incompatibility is life-threatening and the baby is in danger, the baby can undergo exchange transfusions, a special blood transfusion. Transfusion can be performed either before birth or after the delivery. Exchange transfusions replace the baby's blood with Rh-negative blood cells. This method stabilizes the level of red blood cells. It also reduces the damage from the mother's antibodies that are already in the baby's bloodstream.Will it affect the mother as well?
The answer is no. Mothers are not usually affected by the incompatibility; however, pregnant moms will take specific measures. Monitoring the baby is the most important measure to take.Treatments and Preventions
A pregnant mom will be needing an RH immune gobulins injection. RH immune globulin or RhIg is a medication that prevents any Rh antibodies from reacting to any foreign substance. Doctors will give a mother two shots of RhIg during her pregnancy:- The first shot will be on her 28th week of pregnancy
- The second shot is within 72 hrs of giving birth
Source:
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