This is called an intrauterine blood transfusion.įrequent check-ups, blood tests and ultrasound assessments are often required to timely detect possible anaemia. If the anaemia is detected in time, it can be properly treated with blood transfusions while the child is still in the womb. For an unborn child anaemia is a serious, sometimes even life-threatening disease. This disorder means that the unborn child may suffer from anaemia during the pregnancy. In this outpatient department specialist care is offered to pregnant women with a severe form of blood group immunization. This information is for pregnant women who have been referred to the rhesus outpatient department of the LUMC.
This can affect the newborn baby, who may need treatment after birth.This information is provided by Verloskunde Sometimes an incompatibility may happen when the mother is blood type O and the baby is either A or B. This will prevent being sensitized if the baby is Rh positive. If the mother hasn’t already been sensitized to Rh positive blood, they may be given Rh immunoglobulin (RhIg). Problems with the Rh factor happen when the mother’s Rh factor is negative and the baby’s is positive. If the father’s genes are – -, and the mother’s are – -, the baby will be: If the father’s genes are – -, and the mother’s are + -, the baby can be If the father’s genes are + – Rh-positive, and the mother’s are + – Rh-positive, the baby can be: If a father’s Rh factor genes are + +, and the mother’s are – -, the baby will have one + from the father and one – gene from the mother. If a father’s Rh factor genes are + +, and the mother’s are + +, the baby will have one + from the father and one + gene from the mother. More specifically, consider the following: If a person has the genes – -, the Rh factor will be negative.Ī baby receives one gene from the father and one from the mother. If a person has the genes + -, the Rh factor will also be positive. If a person has the genes + +, the Rh factor in the blood will be positive. The Rh-positive gene is dominant (stronger) and, even when paired with an Rh-negative gene, the positive gene takes over: Rh factors follow a common pattern of genetic inheritance. A baby may have the blood type and Rh factor of either parent or a combination of both parents. The following are the possible combinations of blood types with the Rh factors: If there is no Rh factor protein, the person is Rh- negative. If the Rh factor protein is on the cells, the person is Rh-positive. The Rh factor is a protein that is found on the covering of the red blood cells.
The blood type is found as proteins on red blood cells and in body fluids. The blood type and the Rh factor simply mean that a person’s blood has certain specific features. Patient Financial Responsibility Policyīlood Types in Pregnancy About blood typesĮvery person has a blood type (O, A, B, or AB) and an Rh factor, either positive or negative.