Rh- blood?!
Question: I know a bit about it.....
is it true that it can cause a miscarriage?
I want more info about what I need to watch out for as well.
Answers: I know a bit about it.....
is it true that it can cause a miscarriage?
I want more info about what I need to watch out for as well.
Its true that Rh factor plays an important role when it comes to pregnancy.In most cases,Rh factor doesnt affect the baby in a bad way..to explain it in simpler terms:
if the man has Rh positive factor( + ) and the wife has positive factor (+) the baby born will be just fine and generally will also have a positive Rh factor.
If the man has negative Rh factor and his wife also has negative Rh factor then the baby will have Rh negative factor and wont cause any kind of harm to the baby since the mother has Rh negative factor too.
If the man has Rh negative factor and his wife has Rh positive factor,the baby born still will be healthy because the mother's body wont work against the baby's regardless of whether the baby is born with Rh positive or negative factor.
BUT.. if the man has positive Rh factor and his wife has Rh negative factor,then..the woman is at risk.his combination can produce a child who is Rh positive. While the mother's and baby's blood systems are separate there are times when the blood from the baby can enter into the mother's system. This can cause the mother to create antibodies against the Rh factor, thus treating an Rh positive baby like an intruder in her body.
The mother's body can act against the baby's body and produce antibodies that might attack the baby's blood and cause the various factors in the baby's blood to break down..causing illness,damage and even death in some cases.(don't mean to be graphic)
it can occur during blood transfusion, miscarriage, abortion, ectopic pregnancy and other procedures too,and rarely cause a problem in the first pregnancy, it is very important to be screened thoroughly and give an accurate medical history to your doctor or midwife.
The good news is,if you know you and your partner have this combination of Rh factors,you can talk to your gynecologist and tell them about the condition and most practitioners advice her to take an injection of RhIg (also known as Rhogam) at 28 weeks, to prevent any kind of complications that might end the pregnancy.Each dose of RhIg lasts about 12 weeks. The mother will also be given RhIg within 72 hours of birth if the child is Rh positive. The baby's blood type can be determined easily after birth by cord blood samples.
If you have any kind of doubt or queries,do not hesitate to ask your doctor or midwife about it.Don't worry and good luck!
yes the rh factor can be dangerous in pregnancy thats why docs put you on a med to make your blood compatable with the babies..the rh factor is speaking about the your body rejecting the baby's blood..speak to your doctor about this or google it that should answer any of your questions and if you suspect that your rh positive you need to get to the doc right away both you and your baby's life depend on it!
Not for the first pregnancy, but it could on the second once. This happened to me. A Rho Gam shot given during the pregnancy & immediately afterwards is the key. I didn't get the shot after the birth & after that was never able to stop having miscarriages.
This is how it works: during a delivery (or miscarriage or abortion), Rh factor from the fetus enters the mother's circulation. The mother's body, seeing this as something foreign, develops antibodies against it.
The antibodies themselves are harmless -- until she becomes pregnant again with another Rh positive baby. Then the antibodies cross the placenta and attack the fetal red blood cells, causing anemia, which may be fatal.
Today, prevention of the development of Rh antibodies is the key to protecting the fetus when there is Rh incompatibility. Giving mothers a dose of Rh-immune globulin (Rhogam) at 28 weeks and after delivery can prevent serious complications.
Your initial miscarriage is considered your first pregnancy. At this early a gestation, (three to four weeks), the risk that Rh factors have entered your circulation is quite low, and your second miscarriage is probably not due to Rh incompatibility.
There is a test available that will check if you have developed antibodies to the Rh factor. Discuss this with your health care provider.
The most important thing to do is get the Rho Gam shot during pregnancy, your Dr. will know the correct timeing, and immediately after the birth.
Doesn't matter if you are rh positive or rh negative. What matters is if the father of the baby is the same as you . If not, your body could reject the baby. If you know there is an rh compatibility problem, the doctors can do something to help the situation.
pollyanna gave you the right answer - give her the points
for your first pregnancy, you have nothing to fear
for the second, its possible to have problems....possible does not imply a 100% chance...take a deep breath....you and the baby will be ok