Blood Testing Specialist Answer - About RH incompatibility

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ISSN 0973 - 0958

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	Specialist Answers
Question
When my partner was born he had (or) negative blood pressure and o positive blood he had to have a full blood transfusion and even then he nearly died. we are trying for a baby now and as he has the same blood type as his dad and I have the same as his mum and there is a history of this condition in the family I would like to know what the technical name is for this condition, the risks of our baby having it and any treatment available in the UK. Thank you for your time
Answer
What you have described is a condition known as RH incompatibility or ABO incompatibility. ABO incompatibility disease afflicts newborns whose mothers are blood type O, and who have a baby with type A, B, or AB. In this condition, the mother's serum contains antibodies against the baby's blood, which can cause breakdown of the baby's red blood cells, resulting in jaundice after birth that may require blood transfusion in some of the babies. Most of the times the condition is not very severe. RH incompatibility develops when there is a difference in RH blood type of the pregnant mother (RH negative) and that of the fetus (RH positive). During pregnancy, red blood cells from the fetal circulation leak into the maternal circulation. If the mother is RH negative, her system will not tolerate the presence of RH positive cells. Her immune system treats the RH positive fetal cells as if they were a foreign protein or substance and makes antibodies against the fetal blood cells. These anti- RH positive antibodies may cross the placenta into the fetus where they destroy the foetus? Circulating red blood cells. First-born infants are often not affected (unless the mother has had previous interrupted pregnancies, which could have sensitized her system) as it takes time for the mother to develop antibodies against the fetal blood. These antibodies cause breakdown of the baby's red blood cells, resulting in jaundice after birth that may require blood transfusion in some of the babies. RH incompatibility is almost completely preventable. If the father of the infant is RH positive, the mother is given a mid-term injection of Anti D and a second injection within a few days of delivery. These injections prevent the development of antibodies against RH positive blood. This effectively prevents the condition. Back to All Questions

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