Rh Factor Management
Rh factor is an important characteristic of blood cells. A person is considered to be Rh positive if the blood cells have this protein, they are said to be Rh Positive. Around 85% of people are Rh-positive.
The Rh factor does not affect a person’s general health. The Rh Factor indicates whether the blood of two different people can be compatible when mixed like the blood of a mother and her baby at birth. It is extremely important to know this quite early in pregnancy in order to avoid complications if the mother is Rh negative and the foetus is Rh positive.
A simple blood test is all it takes to get the information about the blood type and the Rh factor. Another blood test called the Antibody screen can also show if a Rh-negative woman has developed antibodies to Rh-positive blood. The aim of getting Rh incompatibility treated is to make sure that the new-born doesn’t have any issues and that there aren’t any complications during the pregnancy.
Managing this can also bring down the risk of Rh incompatibility in the future pregnancies. If there is a risk of the mother having Rh incompatibility she will be closely monitored along with the baby throughout the pregnancy. Some methods of effectively managing a positive Rh Factor in pregnancy can include;
- With an injection of Rh immunoglobulin (RhIg), a blood product that can prevent the sensitization of a Rh-negative mother. This is used during pregnancy around the 28th week of pregnancy and after delivery. If the baby is born with Rh-positive blood, the mother will be given another dose of RhIg to prevent her from making antibodies to the Rh-positive cells she may have received from the baby before and during delivery. Rh-negative women should also receive treatment after any miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or induced abortion or even if an amniocentesis is conducted, and the foetal Rh-positive red blood cells may likely mix with a mother’s Rh-negative blood. After a mother who is Rh sensitized will be checked during her pregnancy to see if the foetus is developing the condition. The baby may be delivered on time, followed by a blood transfusion for the baby that will replace the diseased blood cells with healthy blood. For more severe cases, the baby may be delivered early or given transfusions while in the mother’s uterus.
- A RhoGam shot will keep the mother’s blood from making any Rh antibodies that attack the baby’s blood. In the case a woman with Rh-negative blood receives shot, it brings down the chances of her blood getting mixed with the Rh-positive type of blood. A RhoGAM injection can prevent Rh-induced haemolytic disease in the baby and can protect against disease effects like Anaemia, Jaundice, Heart failure, Neurological problems such as an intellectual disability, hearing loss, speech and movement disorders, and seizures.
- For the treatment of mild and moderate haemolytic anaemia, the treatment can involve phototherapy which are special lights used to treat the baby if the amount of bilirubin in their blood is not reducing, medicines and supplements to help the baby’s body to create RBCs.
- If the haemolytic anaemia is severe a blood transfusion can be done for the baby or a labour can be induced if the baby can stand the preterm birth. The blood transfusion can then be done so the new-born’s blood can be replaced with new blood.
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