In pregnancy, there are a variety of medical tests required to ensure the most optimal health of both mother and baby. Of these test, blood typing is necessary to determine not only the blood type of the mother but also the Rh factor of the mother’s blood. As either postive or negative, a mother’s Rh factor will play a key role in determining the treatment needed including the use Rogam to prevent an adverse bood disorder in both mother and baby.
Rh factor is the term used to describe the rhesus factor of a mother’s blood type. As either postive or negative, Rh factor blood typing is categorized in alpha classification with Rh factor indicators, ie. A+, B-, etc. With 85 percent of the population carrying a positive blood type, Rh factors are not of primary concern except in rare cases where a mother’s blood type is noted as negative. Because the blood type of a fetus is unknown, when a mother, carrying a negative Rh Factor, becomes pregnant, the pregnancy may be classified as “high risk” due to the potential odds of an incompatible fetal blood type.
For women who are pregnant, or may become pregnant, knowing your blood type, including the Rh factor is vitally important. With pregnancy, mothers, with negative Rh factors, may birth infants with positive Rh factors. When this incompatibility occurs a rare blood disorder develops in both the newborn and the both resulting from the mother’s development of antibiodies. During this process, the mother, with a negative Rh factor, will naturally create antibodies against the baby’s positive Rh factor. The result, if not treated during pregnancy, may result in a sigificant health issue for the newborn including the necessity of a blood transfusion.
In pregnancy, to offset what is known as Rh Incompatability, a developing blood disorder, pregnant women, with a negative Rh factor will receive what is known as an Rh immune-globulin injection at 28 weeks of pregnancy followed by a second injection within 72 hours of giving birth. By administering the injection at 28 weeks, the goal is to prevent the development of Rh antibodies by the pregnant women thereby further reducing the risk of attacking a potentially Rh positive fetus. The administration of the injection at 72 hours post birth is done to prevent further antibody development in an effort to protect future pregnancies.
As with any pregnancy, early medical attention is crucial to ensuring a healthy pregnancy and delivery. When pregnant, obtaining blood typing is one of the first laboratory tests an obstetrician may order. When testing with an negative Rh factor, discuss the additional treatments required during labor and delivery to ensure a healthy outcome for both you and your baby. For more information regarding Rh factors, visit www.infoplease.com.
