Pregnancy & Baby 

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Incompatibility of blood types and Rh factor

When a mother is Rh-negative, as your wife is, and she gives birth to a child who is Rh-positive (as could be the case because of your blood group), she begins to build up antibodies against future Rh-positive babies. The first baby is not affected because the antibody formation occurs mostly in the first few days after birth, in a response to the mixing of foetal and maternal blood at the time of the birth.

Mismatched blood transfusions and previous miscarriage or trauma in the pregnancy are other risks for building up antibodies. These incidents are always carefully noted when an antenatal medical history is being taken.

We have a medication called Rhesus anti-D gamma globulin (an injection), which prevents this build-up of antibodies (isoimmunisation). It is generally given at about seven months (28 weeks) during the pregnancy -- to prevent early isoimmunisation -- and again after the birth if the baby is Rh-positive. If the baby is Rh-negative, no treatment is required.

If this injection is given with each pregnancy, and again within 72 hours after the birth of any Rh-positive baby, your wife should have no problems with this. She will have blood tests called "antibody titres" throughout each pregnancy to make sure that she is not developing antibodies.

Another type of "incompatibility" is when the mother is type O and the baby is A or B. This is called ABO incompatibility, but when the mother is a different Rh factor from the baby, this does not occur as much. It is also only a minor problem. It may result in jaundice after birth, but this is usually self-limiting and does not require an exchange transfusion.

If she gets good antenatal care and receives anti-D injection at seven months and again after birth -- if your baby is Rh-positive -- all should be well.

Try not to worry.

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