Firstly, try not to worry. All rhesus-negative (RhD-negative) mums-to-be are offered an injection of a substance called anti-D immunoglobulin. This injection will prevent any harm to your baby from rhesus incompatibility.
If you're rhesus-negative and carrying a rhesus-positive (RhD-positive) baby, problems can arise if some of your blood mixes with your baby's during pregnancy or birth. There's a risk that your immune system will produce antibodies against your baby's blood. This is likely to cause
anaemia and other problems in your baby or in future pregnancies.
The injection will ensure this doesn't happen. However, it can be useful to know your baby's dad's blood type, as it may help you decide whether you need the injections.All of us belong to one of four blood groups: A, B, AB or O. Except in very rare cases, it doesn't matter if you're a different blood group to your baby's dad. What does matter is the
rhesus factor, whether or not you're rhesus-positive (RhD-positive) or rhesus-negative (RhD-negative).
People who are RhD-positive have a protein on their red blood cells called D antigen. If you're RhD-negative, you don't have this.
We inherit the rhesus factor from our parents. Around 85 per cent of people from white European backgrounds have RhD-positive blood. For people of African and Asian origin, the figures are 94 and 90 %.
Most of us are RhD-positive because we each inherit two copies of the rhesus gene, one from each parent. These genes are either positive or negative. The positive gene is dominant and always wins out.
If you inherit one positive and one negative gene, you will be RhD-positive.
- If you inherit two positive genes you will also be positive.
- If both parents are RhD-negative, there's no chance that any of their babies could be RhD-positive. This is because neither parent has a positive gene to pass on.
- If both parents are RhD-positive but both carry one positive and one negative gene, the odds are that their baby will be rhesus-positive, too.
- However, it's also possible for those same parents to have a RhD-negative child if they both pass on their negative gene to their baby.
- If one parent is RhD-negative and one parent is RhD-positive, their baby could be RhD-positive or negative.
All mums are offered
blood tests early in pregnancy to find out their blood group and rhesus status. Partners, however, aren't routinely tested, though you might consider asking if it could be done. If your partner turns out to be negative then your baby will also be RhD-negative and there's no chance of rhesus incompatibility.
If there's any doubt in your mind over who has fathered your baby, you may want to think carefully about whether your partner should be tested. It's impossible for an RhD-negative man to father an RhD-positive baby (if the mum is also RhD-negative). So, if your partner is found to be negative and your baby is positive, he can't be the father. If you can't find out your partner's status, don't worry. The anti-D injections will protect your baby from the risk of rhesus incompatibility
Hii inaitwa RHESUS FACTOR INCOMPATIBILITY
Wanaathirika ni wanawake wote ambao atakuwa na blood group yenye rhesus factor yatofauti na aliyonayo mtoto alietumbo
Kwa uelewa wa kawaida tu ni kuwa wakati wa kujifungua mtoto wa keanza ata survive lkn kwasababu mwili wa mama unakuwa hauja being alerted kuwa kuna kitu tofauti lkn kwa mimba 2 na kuendelea haitawezekana kuzaa mtoto hai kabisa kabisa
Na hiyo mimba ya 2 ichukuliwe kuwa ni mimba yoyote ile hata km iliharibika au ilikuwa aborted
Natambua hivyo