Rhesus-conflict: when the Rh factors of mother and child do not match

Health of the unborn child may be in grave danger if his blood does not match the blood group mother. How to identify rhesus conflict and prevent the associated incompatibility?

You can have a happy family. Your husband well together, you have common interests, although he, for example, hates math, if what you are - a professional accountant.

But there are other qualities that may occur only during your pregnancy. This is not the differences in views on the upbringing of children, and differences in the Rhesus factor. If you have Rh factor is negative, and my husband - yes, a child may be Rh-conflict.

What is Rh factor?

Rhesus factor - a protein that is located on the surface of red blood cells. Those people who have it are called Rh-positive. Those who have this protein is absent (they are about 15%) are called Rh-negative.

If Rh-negative woman is pregnant from Rh-positive man, Rhesus factor, the child may be positive. A threat of Rhesus-conflict and serious complications for the health of the fetus or newborn.

Fortunately, during the prenatal survey of pregnant women must do a blood test for Rh factor. It helps to anticipate Rhesus-conflict and early treatment.

How dangerous Rh-conflict?

Rhesus-conflict occurs when Rh-positive fetal red blood cells are found with Rh-negative red blood cells mother.

The reaction of the mother recalls, in this case an allergic reaction. Such a reaction is not harmful to her health, but for the fetus, it is a serious danger. Antibodies, which begins to produce immune system, destroy fetal red blood cells. As a result, the child develops hemolytic anemia. This condition can cause other serious diseases, lesions of the brain and fetal death.

When maternal blood in contact with the blood of the fetus?

A state in which maternal blood appear rhesus antibodies, called sensitization. Sensitization can occur as a result:

* Miscarriage
* Abortion
* Ectopic pregnancy (when the fertilized egg attaches outside the uterus or fallopian tube)
* Amniocentesis (analysis, which takes a small amount of amniotic fluid for the diagnosis of certain diseases of the fruit)
* Testing chorionic villi (analysis, which is done in early pregnancy for the diagnosis of certain diseases of the fruit)
* Transfusion of Rh-positive blood
* Bleeding during pregnancy

If there was not one of the above predisposing circumstances, the most in the first pregnancy, Rh-conflict does not arise. Small contact fetal blood and the mother may occur during childbirth, but usually the first child is born healthy.

However, once sensitization occurs, the situation becomes irreversible. If the mother was sensitized during the first pregnancy and is the second child, to prevent rhesus-conflict and preserve the health of your baby requires special treatment.

Treatment of rhesus-conflict

Today, thanks to medical advances, Rh-negative mother can make and give birth to a healthy Rh-positive baby.

In pregnancy during the first survey done a blood test to determine the Rh factor in maternal blood. If you are Rh negative, the doctor will closely monitor the condition of the child throughout the pregnancy. You may need a blood test the child's father. The doctor will also determine whether there is in your blood is Rh-antibodies.

If rhesus antibodies is, then you are sensitized. In this case, the doctor will regularly check the status of the fetus to detect early signs of Rhesus-conflict. If they appear, the child may need blood transfusions to compensate for the lack of red blood cells, damaged maternal antibodies. Typically, a blood transfusion do after giving birth. Sometimes, in order to pour the blood in time, require early delivery. There are recent methods of blood transfusion on how to make his child in the womb.

If Rh-antibodies you have not found, it means you are not sensitized. In this case the doctor would prescribe a course of immunoglobulin to prevent sensitization. Immunoglobulin prevent the mother to identify fetal red blood cells as alien, and Rh-antibodies will not be worked out.

Rhesus immunoglobulin appointed in the following cases:

* At the 28th week of pregnancy, if sensitization has not occurred.
* After the birth of a child born of Rh-positive. This will prevent sensitization as a result of childbirth.
* After any of the above events, that they did not lead to sensitization of the female organism.

Validity of Rh immune globulin is approximately 12 weeks. Therefore, in the case of a new pregnancy, Rh-negative women have to enter it again.
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