not during pregnancy....just in a regular person
2007-06-12 09:55:45 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Women's Health
It means you lack the Rhesus factor antigen on your blood cells.
2007-06-12 09:59:04 · answer #1 · answered by killfoot2001 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are 8 sugars identified on human cells for cellular communication.
Blood types are determined by what terminal sugars are present or not present.
For example, Type o - is the least sweetest of the bunch.
RH Negative means that there are 2 blood sugars not present as with RH positive, thus the protein structures that these sugars sit upon tell an immune cell if it is friend for foe.
If the immune cells think the RH negative blood type is an enemy because the protein structures are not recognized by RH positive, then they will send a blue print to the immune system to attack any blood cell that looks like that cell.
Not an RN to know this.
2007-06-12 10:01:25 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The "Rh" factor was first isolated in a Rh-esus monkey hence the term "Rh". This antigen is found also on human blood cells. It doesn't denote blood groups as A, B, AB and O denote these. The positive or negative you hear or see after a blood group, like AB negative refers to the presence or absence of the Rh-esus factor. So a Rh negative individual has no Rhesus factor on their blood cells.
This is of most significance in a pregnant woman who is Rh-negative and may develop antibodies to her baby who is Rh-positive hence the giving of a medication called Rhogam to Rh-negative pregnant women. Rhogam is the antibody to RH factor but if you give a Rh-negative woman the medicine, she will develop no antibodies of her own to the Rh-positive baby - slightly confusing isn't it?
2007-06-12 14:13:10 · answer #3 · answered by brainbox 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your blood does contain the protein, your blood is said to be Rh positive (Rh+). If your blood does not contain the protein, your blood is said to be Rh negative (Rh-).
This Rh factor is connected to your blood type. For example, your blood may be AB+ which means that you have type AB blood with a positive Rh factor. Or, you might have O- blood which means that you have type O blood with a negative Rh factor.
It is particularly important for expectant mothers to know their blood's Rh factor. Occasionally, a baby will inherit an Rh positive blood type from its father while the mother has an Rh negative blood type. The baby's life could be in great danger if the mother's Rh negative blood attacks the baby's Rh positive blood. If this happens, an exchange transfusion may save the baby's life. The baby's blood can be exchanged for new blood that matches the mother's.
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2007-06-12 09:58:42 · answer #4 · answered by emtd65 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
the rh neg mother always always recieves an injection that will prevent her from damaging a possibly rh positive baby and vice versa.
2007-06-12 10:00:30 · answer #5 · answered by essentiallysolo 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋