2006-09-15 05:12:38 · 6 answers · asked by Alessandro B 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
it's not so much Blood Types that make things risky, as it is the RH Factor.
If yiou have RH Positive, and your spouse has RH Negative, the first child will be fine, but, you'll need some help for any children after that.
It's not too difficult nowadays. If you want to have more than one child, you'll have to talk to the OB/Gyn, and they'll have a way around the problem...
Nowadays, it's not a serious problem...
Vandevere
2006-09-15 05:24:23 · answer #1 · answered by Ven D 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
The problem occurs with Rh incompatibility in a female with Rh negative blood. The blood type of the father does not matter as a man with Rh positive heterozygous can give either the dominant or recessive gene to his offspring.
Rh incompatibility occurs only if the mother is Rh negative and her baby is Rh positive. It does not occur if the mother is Rh positive and her baby is Rh negative. If there is a mixing of the blood, the mother's body will produce antibodies against the positive factor in the baby's blood. Usually, but not 100 % of the time, the first time that this happens it is not a problem. However, in all subsequent pregnancies the mother's body can react very strongly to the baby's blood.
The compound Rh-immune globulin (also called RhoGAM) is given to a woman who is Rh negative to bind the antibodies and protect her unborn child.
A blood test is part of the routine prenatal work up given to an expectant mother, and your obstetrician should be able to answer your questions.
2006-09-15 12:49:16 · answer #2 · answered by L96vette 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The only combo that is potentially dangerous is an Rh factor positive father and an Rh factor negative mother. And only after she has been exposed to red blood cells from an Rh positive first child, who will not be affected.
How this is taken care of is elegant and simple. RhoGam, which is purified anti - D (which is in medspeak what the Rh positive factor is) is given via injection to the mother in latter stages of pregnancy and just after birth, times when the child's red blood cells are likely to have entered her bloodstream. This injection, even when given while the child is in utero will not harm it.
Then, because the Anti-D antibodies have attached themselves to any cells containing the D antigen, the immune system removes them and destroys them, before the mother's own body has a chance to mount it's own antibody producting system, which then cannot be turned off. The term used for this type of injection is passive immunity.
The RhoGam injections have been used for decades and are one of the, if not the single most safe aspect of fetal and maternal medicine available. Not harmful to mother or child.
2006-09-15 12:51:42 · answer #3 · answered by finaldx 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Other respondents have written about the role of Rh factor. I think that other blood components, like hemoglobin, are important to consider as well. In very basic terms, individuals who are carriers of the gene for sickle cell hemoglobin (or who have this condition themselves), for example, who conceive a child with another carrier of this gene or individual with this condition have the potential to produce a child with sickle cell disease. The same goes for thalassemia. Individuals with both conditions (depending upon the type and severity) may basicallly live normal lives, but do have to deal with the more burdensome and occasionally life-threatening aspects of their conditions throughout their lives. The only "risky" thing, so to speak, is not being aware of one's genetic makeup and therefore not making an informed choice re: having a child with a high likelihood of having a serious medical condition. It's important to have this information just for the sake of taking charge of one's health whether having children is goal or not. Just another factor to consider.
2006-09-15 16:59:34 · answer #4 · answered by semper 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
From personal experience, I know that a O pos and an O neg will create problems. My girl is O neg, and I am O pos. Her body rejected my positive cells causing miscarriage. I found out (too late) that you can get a shot that will prevent this from happening. I believe that all blood types that are opposite one another has this reaction.
2006-09-15 12:28:02 · answer #5 · answered by Luke 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Woman has Rh neg, and man has Rh pos.
2006-09-15 13:58:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋