The Rh Factor: How It Can Affect Your Pregnancy
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The Rh Factor: How It Can Affect Your Pregnancy
What is the Rh factor?
The
Rh factor is a protein that can be found on the surface of red
blood cells. If your blood cells have this protein, you are Rh positive. If
your blood cells do not have this protein, you are Rh negative.
How does a person get the Rh factor?
The
Rh factor is inherited, meaning it is passed from parent to child through genes.
The fetus can inherit the Rh factor from the father or the
mother.
Can the Rh factor cause problems during pregnancy?
Yes.
During pregnancy, problems can occur if you are Rh negative and your fetus is Rh
positive. When a woman is Rh negative and her fetus is Rh positive, it is
called Rh incompatibility.
What happens if there is Rh incompatibility during
pregnancy?
If
the blood of an Rh-positive fetus gets into the bloodstream of an Rh-negative
woman, her body will understand it is not
her
blood and will fight it by making anti-Rh antibodies. These
antibodies can cross the placenta and try to destroy the fetus’s
blood. This reaction can lead to serious health problems and even death in a
fetus or newborn.
How can my fetus’s blood get into my bloodstream?
During
pregnancy, a woman and her fetus usually do not share blood. But sometimes a
small amount of blood from the fetus can mix with the woman’s blood. This can
happen during labor and birth. It also can occur with any of the following:
Amniocentesis or chorionic
villus sampling (CVS)
Bleeding
during pregnancy Attempts before labor to manually turn a fetus from a breech
presentation Trauma to the abdomen during pregnancy
How can Rh problems affect the fetus during pregnancy?
Rh
incompatibility can lead to a type of anemia in the fetus in
which 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. In some cases, the fetus
can die from anemia.
Can the Rh factor cause problems during my first
pregnancy?
Health
problems usually do not occur during an Rh-negative woman’s first pregnancy with
an Rh-positive fetus because her body does not have a chance to develop a lot
of antibodies. But if preventive treatment is not given during the first pregnancy
and the woman later gets pregnant with an Rh-positive fetus, she can make more
antibodies. More antibodies put a future fetus at risk.
Can I still develop antibodies if my pregnancy is not
carried to term?
An
Rh-negative woman can make antibodies after a miscarriage, ectopic
pregnancy, or induced abortion. If an Rh-negative woman
gets pregnant after one of these events and has not received treatment, a
future fetus may be at risk of problems
How can I learn if I am Rh negative?
A
simple blood test can find out your blood type and Rh status. A blood sample
can be taken in the office of your obstetrician–gynecologist (ob-gyn) or
other health care professional. This sample usually is taken during the first
prenatal. Another blood test, called an antibody screen, can show if an
Rh-negative woman has made antibodies to Rh positive blood.
Can Rh problems be prevented?
Yes.
The goal of preventive treatment is to stop an Rh-negative woman from making Rh
antibodies in the first place. This is done by finding out if you are Rh
negative early in pregnancy (or before pregnancy) and, if necessary, giving you
a medication to prevent antibodies from forming.
What medication prevents Rh problems?
When
an Rh-negative woman has not already made antibodies, a medication called Rh
immunoglobulin (RhIg) can be given. RhIg stops the body from making
antibodies, which can prevent severe fetal anemia in a future pregnancy.
When is RhIg given?
RhIg
is given to Rh-negative women in the following situations:
At
around week 28 of pregnancy within 72 hours after the birth of an Rh-positive
baby
A
dose of RhIg also may be needed after an ectopic pregnancy or a first-trimester
miscarriage or abortion after invasive procedures, such as amniocentesis, CVS,
fetal blood sampling, or fetal surgery.
Additionally,
you may be given RhIg if you have had bleeding during pregnancy trauma to the
abdomen during pregnancy attempts to manually turn a fetus from a breech
presentation
What if I have already made antibodies and my fetus is Rh
positive?
In
this case, the well-being of the fetus will be checked during the pregnancy. If
tests show that the fetus has severe anemia, early delivery (before 37 weeks of
pregnancy) may be necessary. Another option may be to give a blood transfusion
through the umbilical cord while the fetus is still in the
woman’s uterus. If the anemia is mild, the baby may be delivered
at the normal time. After delivery, the baby may need a blood transfusion to
replace blood cells.
Glossary
Amniocentesis: A
procedure in which a needle is used to withdraw and test a small amount of
amniotic fluid and cells from the sac surrounding the fetus.
Anemia: Abnormally
low levels of red blood cells in the bloodstream. Most cases are caused by iron
deficiency (lack of iron).
Antibodies: Proteins
in the blood produced in reaction to foreign substances, such as bacteria and
viruses that cause infection.
Breech Presentation: A position in which the feet or buttocks of the fetus
would be born first.
Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS): A procedure in which a small sample of cells is taken
from the placenta and tested.
Pregnancy: A
pregnancy in which the fertilized egg begins to grow in a place other Ectopic
than inside the uterus, usually in one of the fallopian tubes.
Fetus: The
stage of prenatal development that starts 8 weeks after fertilization and lasts
until the end of pregnancy.
Genes: Segments
of DNA that contain instructions for the development of a person’s physical
traits and control of the
processes
in the body. They are the basic units of heredity and can be passed from parent
to child.
Induced Abortion: The
planned termination of a pregnancy before the fetus can survive outside the
uterus.
Miscarriage: Loss of
a pregnancy.
Obstetrician–Gynecologist (Ob-Gyn): A physician with special skills, training, and education
in women’s health.
Oxygen: A gas
that is necessary to sustain life.
Placenta: Tissue
that provides nourishment to and takes waste away from the fetus.
Rh Factor: A
protein that can be present on the surface of red blood cells.
Rh Immunoglobulin (RhIg): A substance given to prevent an Rh-negative person’s
antibody response to Rh-positive blood cells.
Umbilical Cord: A
cord-like structure containing blood vessels that connects the fetus to the
placenta.
Uterus: A
muscular organ located in the female pelvis that contains and nourishes the
developing fetus during pregnancy.
Reference:
The
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
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