Anyone Heard of a Rhogam Shot?

Question

I have to get a Rhogam Shot next dr. visit, and I want to know what is it and why? Did anyone get this shot before and does it hurt? Keep in mind I'm currently 19 weeks pregnant with twins.

My blood type is O negative, and I didn't have the shot in my first pregnancy and my baby came out healthy, so I don't understand.

Answer 1

this shot treats rh incompatibility make it clear to your doctor that you want the Rhogam Vaccine that is free of Mercury,mercury can cause birth defeacts
here is some info about the shot and why it is given good luck
The Rhogam Vaccine

What has not been publicized at all was the presence of the mercury derivative, thimerosal in the rhogam shot given to RH Negative expectant mothers and its consequential effects on her unborn child prior to 2001.

Stephen Marini, DC, PhD informs us “the Physicians Desk Reference 8 cautions that the use of rhogam during pregnancy can have adverse effects on the fetus. The high mercury content of the rhogam preparation can have serious neurological consequences on the developing fetus. Hair analysis of unvaccinated children born from moms injected with rhogam demonstrate the presence of mercury. First, expectant mothers should question the rationale for rhogam injections in pregnancy. Second, if rhogam administration during pregnancy is absolutely necessary, then expectant mothers should demand mercury free rhogam. Mercury-free rhogam is available in this country from Bayer Pharmaceuticals under their product name of BayRoh-D. This mercury free product has been available sine 1996. Their number is 800-468-0894.” WinRho SDF, made by the Cangene Corp., is a freeze-dried product that contains no preservatives.


Dr. Marini further states, “During pregnancy there is no mixing of mother's blood with baby blood. Giving mom rhogam after the baby's birth is sufficient to reduce the risk of HDN in her next child to about 1-2%. Rhogam is also indicated if the mom has an abortion, either natural or induced, or has abdominal trauma or an amniocentesis. Giving rhogam during pregnancy can reduce the risk of HDN by less than 1%. *** It is doubtful that the slight benefit acquired by giving rhogam during pregnancy outweighs the risks to the fetus from the injection.” 9


Dawn Richardson , President of Parents Requesting Open Vaccine Education (PROVE) did a quick internet search and came up with this CDC post:

"Q. Who is most vulnerable to mercury?”
“ A. Two groups are most vulnerable to methyl mercury: the fetus and children ages 14 and younger."

Her continued searching on the National Library of Medicine site almost effortlessly produced hundreds of articles and studies in medical and scientific journals clearly documenting the damaging effects of prenatal exposure to mercury. The results of one recent study published in the August 1, 1999 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology stated that "the greatest susceptibility to methylmercury neurotoxicity occurs during late gestation, while early postnatal vulnerability is less". Ludicrously, this is the precise point in time that ACIP and the CDC recommended women to get the rhogam shot. 10

It is important to note that in 2001, the FDA finally banned thimerosal from the Rhogam shot. Strangly, though earlier the next year, the FDA began recommending flu shots for women and babies. The flu shot has the highest levels of thimerosal of all vaccines
http://www.icpa4kids.org/index.htm

Rh Incompatibility and Why You Need RhoGAM

What is Rh incompatibility?
In cases of Rh incompatibility, a baby's red blood cells have a substance called the Rh D factor, and the mother's blood cells do not. In medical terms, the baby is Rh positive and you are Rh negative. If some of the baby's red blood cells leak into your system, your body may produce antibodies to the Rh D factor (a condition called sensitization). These antibodies can cross the placenta and destroy the red blood cells in your unborn baby or in the next Rh-positive baby you have.

How does it occur?
Rh incompatibility occurs only if you are Rh negative and your baby is Rh positive. It does not occur if you are Rh positive and your baby is Rh negative. In most cases you will not be exposed to the baby's blood until you give birth. This usually means that your first baby is not affected. However, large amounts of the baby's blood often leak into the mother during delivery. If you are Rh negative, the next Rh-positive baby you have could have problems if you have developed antibodies.

Occasionally, in the following situations, some of the baby's blood may leak into your system during pregnancy:

after amniocentesis or other invasive procedure
during a miscarriage or abortion
during an ectopic pregnancy
if you bleed heavily during pregnancy.

If you are Rh negative and you received Rh-positive blood in a transfusion, you may have developed antibodies that will cause Rh incompatibility.

In most cases, development of antibodies (sensitization) can be prevented, but if antibodies are formed, they will cross the placenta and can cause serious damage to the red blood cells of an Rh-positive baby.

What are the symptoms?
You will have no symptoms. Symptoms and signs of the problem are seen in the baby if he or she develops hemolytic disease. In this condition, the baby's red blood cells start to break down, causing anemia. The baby may have other problems due to the anemia, such as jaundice and, after birth, breathing problems. The baby might even die in the womb if too much of the baby's blood is destroyed.

How is it diagnosed?
Women at risk for Rh incompatibility can be identified with the routine blood tests done at prenatal visits with the doctor. The tests include:

blood type
Rh type
antibody screening.

If you are Rh negative and have antibodies against the Rh D factor, Rh incompatibility may be a problem. If you are Rh negative, the blood of the baby's father should be tested. If the father's blood is Rh positive, the baby has a chance of inheriting Rh-positive blood from the father. If the father is Rh negative, there will not be a problem because the baby will have no chance of inheriting Rh-positive blood.

Some of the tests used to diagnose and assess hemolytic disease in the baby before and after birth are:

amniocentesis
cordocentesis
ultrasound
nonstress tests
blood tests.

How is it treated?
If you have already been sensitized by a previous birth, your baby may develop hemolytic disease before birth. If this happens, your baby may need a blood transfusion in the womb before birth. Sometimes early delivery by cesarean section is necessary.

If you have not been sensitized, you will be given an injection of Rh-immune globulin at about 28 weeks of pregnancy, and within 72 hours after a birth, miscarriage, abortion, or amniocentesis. The Rh-immune globulin contains antibodies to the Rh D factor. These antibodies will destroy any red blood cells from the baby that have entered your blood. You will not have a chance to form your own antibodies to the Rh D factor. If you receive the injection at 28 weeks and after delivery, sensitization will be prevented and Rh incompatibility should not be a problem during your next pregnancy.

It is important to receive Rh-immune globulin in all cases when the baby's blood could leak into your system, including:

all pregnancies including ectopic (tubal) pregnancies
early miscarriages
after chorionic villus sampling
after amniocentesis.

How long will the effects last?
Sensitization usually doesn't happen until after the birth of an Rh-positive baby. Therefore, in most cases Rh incompatibility is not a problem during a woman's first pregnancy and delivery of an Rh-positive baby. However, later pregnancies and deliveries may be affected unless the mother is treated with Rh-immune globulin after EVERY birth, miscarriage, and abortion. Sensitization is permanent and the effects are usually worse with each subsequent pregnancy.

What can be done to help prevent problems associated with Rh incompatibility?
This complication of pregnancy has not occurred often since the discovery of Rh-immune globulin (also called RhoGAM). Rh-immune globulin can prevent sensitization. It is given to an Rh-negative woman shortly after every delivery, miscarriage, or abortion. It is also given to a pregnant Rh-negative woman after amniocentesis, any bleeding episodes, and during the seventh month of pregnancy

hope this info helps stand your grounds when it comes to the health of your unborn child goodluck and god bless

Answer 2

A rhogam shot is given to a mother with a negative blood type (A-, B-, etc.). It prevents the woman's body from building up antibodies that would attack blood cells that are positive. For example, if you are A- and one of your babies blood type is A+, your body would build antibodies that would attack that baby. It's really more of a precaution during the pregnancy. After your babies blood types are confirmed at birth, if one of them has a positive blood type, you will be given the shot again to protect future pregnancies.

It is usually given in the hip or buttocks, and is about the same as any other shot.

Interestingly enough, I also am RH negative. Out of my 5 children, I have only needed the shot twice, because three of them ended up being RH negative as well.

Answer 3

Because you have a negative blood type you need rhogam shots...your body does not produce the positive antibodies, so the rhogam shot gives you that. If the babies are a positive blood type you need rhogam so that your blood doesn't reject the babies. You will get another shot after the babies are born if their blood is tested and its positive...nothing at all to worry about. I was also told that if I had any bleeding during my pregnancy I had to get a rhogam shot.

Answer 4

Hey! I am 20 weeks pregnant w/twins! Anyway!!!
I have to have the Rhogam shot too. It's because you have a negative RH factor. Your blood type is probably A negative or B negative. This is given b/c the babies may be born w/ a positive Rh factor (Apositive or Bpositive) and if you don't get it, your body may see your babies as something invading your body and attack the babies. Hope this helps.
P.S. You'll probably get another shot after you deliever.

Answer 5

I hat the Rhogam shot when i was pregnant. I can't remember if i had one or two. I know i had one after i delivered as well. If your baby comes out with the same blood type, then you will not need another shot. If your child had different blood, then they will give YOU another shot of Rhogam. My son is perfectly healthy, he scoed 9/10 on his scores and is very healthy. I don't think they gave my son a shot, i never heard of them giving the baby a shot whose mothers where RH-. But all in all, my child is perfectly healthy, has never had any thing wrong (knock on wood). So, i wouldnt worry. I know i was very worried when i got this shot, let alone when they gave me anything! lol. They are saying alot of things are causing autism, just like they are saying alot of things are causing cancer. I wouldnt let this concern you. if you didnt get the rhogam, its going to affect your next child, if you deciede to have another. The shot has been around for a very long time. Relax and enjoy your sleep while you still have it ;), and Congrats!

Answer 6

you must have the RH nagatove factor in your blood,
I copied this for you:

Rh Factor - This test identifies your Rh status which means determining whether you have a certain protein on the surface of your red blood cells. This matters when you are pregnant only if you're negative and your partner is positive. If this is the case, there is a chance your child will have inherited a positive Rh factor, in which case your body may react to your baby's blood as if it's a foreign substance, and could potentially kill the baby. The condition is treated with a series of vaccinations given late in pregnancy or right after birth.

( copied from my pregnancy weekly website,)

Answer 7

Rhogam is the brand name of pharmaceutical product used to prevent possible complications of Rh-incompatibility disease. If your blood type is Rh-negative, and your are pregnant, you will be given the shot to protect all future children you might have. If your baby or babies have Rh-positive blood inherited from their father, your body will produce antibodies to their Rh-positive blood, and these antibodies will attack any future children you have, often in a life-threatening hemolysis event. Unless you get the shot, any children you may have in the future will be in danger of death or severe disability. Get the shot. Believe me, it won't hurt as much as having to bury your baby.

Answer 8

I am A negative and I had to get the shot too for my babies sake...I've read the other answeres you have recieved and I think they explained it better than I can but get the shot OK?

Answer 9

http://folsomobgyn.com/rh_testing_and_rhogam.htm

http://www.unhinderedliving.com/rhogam.html

http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/wha/wha_rh_crs.htm

http://www.vaccinetruth.org/rhogam.htm

http://www.vaccinetruth.org/rhogam.htm

I hope these links are useful to you, I think the last one might be the best but I will let you decide which one you prefer.

Good luck!

Answer 10

read this it might help :http://www.webmd.com/baby/tc/Placenta-Abruptio-Treatment-Overview