Why you couples need to get a blood test before getting married?

Answer 1

It is because of the possibility of pregnancy with "mismatched" blood types. There are ways around this, the mother will have to receive shots of medication during her pregnancy, so its no longer a big deal which is why most states don't do it anymore.

In pregnancy, maternal-fetal incompatibility of blood types can occur. This is usually very rare — less than 0.1% of births. ABO incompatibility occurs most commonly when the mother is type O and her fetus is A, B, or AB. Symptoms in newborns can include jaundice (yellowish coloring to the skin), mild anemia, or elevated bilirubin levels. A baby showing these symptoms will have a blood test to check these levels. Treatment for high bilirubin levels includes phototherapy (bili lights), which helps break down excess bilirubin. This treatment is usually successful, so there is no need for a blood transfusion.

Another aspect of your blood type that is extremely important to know in pregnancy is the Rh classification. The Rh system, named after the rhesus monkey, was developed while researching an antiserum for typing blood samples. If the antiserum agglutinates (clots) your red cells, you are Rh+. If it doesn’t, you are Rh-.

Your Rh type is important in pregnancy because mother-fetus blood incompatibility can occur when the mother is Rh- and the unborn baby is Rh+. This is a serious and potentially life-threatening situation for the growing fetus. An Rh- mother will produce antibodies to Rh+ blood if it enters her system. When birthing a baby, placental rupture normally occurs. This causes some fetal blood to enter the mother’s system, thus stimulating the development of antibodies if the baby is Rh+ and the mother is Rh-. This poses a serious risk to any future Rh+ babies a woman may have. When the next pregnancy occurs, the mother’s anti Rh+ antibodies transfer across the placenta into the fetus. There they will react with the fetal blood, attacking the red blood cells and causing them to burst. As a result, the newborn baby may be born with life-threatening anemia, causing a lack of oxygen in the blood. Baby may also be jaundiced, fevered, and have an enlarged liver and spleen. This is called erythroblastosis fetalis. The good news is that this serious condition is preventable.

As a part of their prenatal care, women at risk (Rh- women with Rh+ mates) can receive a serum called Rho-GAM. The Rho-GAM injection contains anti-Rh+ antibodies in a small dose and is given to the expectant mother around the 28th week of pregnancy and again within 72 hours after the delivery of an Rh+ baby. This important treatment can be 99% effective in preventing erythroblastosis fetalis by acting as a passive form of immunization. The Rho-GAM prevents the mother from forming her own long-lasting antibodies. The Rho-GAM antibodies are temporary, leaving the bloodstream after a short period. Rho-GAM is also given to Rh- women after a miscarriage, an ectopic (tubal) pregnancy, or an abortion.

Answer 2

Blood tests for marriage came about for two reasons. The first was to insure your RH factors were the same so that any children you were thinking about wouldn't be at risk. The second was to test for syphilis. This STD was brought back from WWII and Korea by the soldier and was a major problem. Many states have done away with blood tests to include Oklahoma which did away with it the first part of this year.

Answer 3

My husband and I had blood tests before we got married. It was intended to find out about blood compatibility but we were never informed. It turned out that our blood was completely incompatible. Mine being common and his being rare. Not to mention the RH factor. Although, we have 3 beautiful children ; I took my life into my hands each and everytime I got pregnant and gave birth. Not to mention the complications subsequent to the birth due to my blood cells attacking those of the childrens literally trying to eliminate it's opposition. It took a week for the children's immune systems to be strong enough to fight off what few blood cells from me were in their systems. However not before we watched them suffer. As one of your other "answers" mentions there is indeed a shot or a pill which is available now to prevent this from happening. It was available back then too but we were never informed by any of the physicians of its availability.
Had we been informed from the onset ; we could have avoided much.

Answer 4

Your blood is tested in most states before a marriage license is issued to make sure when the couple has a baby that the blood types blend well.

Answer 5

A few reasons...

#1 STDS such as AIDS
#2 Compatible blood types for when you have kids

Some states don't require blood tests anymore.

Answer 6

You do not need blood tests anymore, but they use to test to make sure that you did not have any stds and that your blood types were compatible for having children (something with the rh factor).

Answer 7

These days, maybe the AIDS test or other STDs is most relevant. It used to be because if the blood types are wrong/ or right depending on what you want, you might not be able to get pregnant since the fetus' blood would coagulate and it would die.

Answer 8

I believe this out of date , as most partners have been intimate and even had children before the test, so it is pointless, may be just a cash cow for money

Answer 9

i imagine of you propose couples having a DNA attempt contained in the previous marriage. now no longer in ordinary words infinite kiddies and by no skill awareness who the daddy is, yet what about sperm donors and the babies from that? At one time couple did would favor to take blood assessments. yet now drugs has the thanks to zig zag around the incompatible blood plasma so couples with diverse blood varieties would have youthful ones.

Answer 10

1. To ensure you aren't carrying any communicable diseases.

2. To ensure you aren't marrying your sister.

3. To the twit above me that said "I don't think you have to anymore". You'd better hope an intellegence test isn't put in place in lieu of blood.