Rh Incompatibility

Condition that develops when a pregnant woman has Rh-negative blood, and
the fetus inside the womb has an Rh-positive blood.
Causes
o During pregnancy, RBC from the fetus can cross into the mothers
blood through the placenta.
o Rh-negative mother: The immune systems treats the Rh-positive fetal
cells, as if they were a foreign substance. (Virus, or bacteria) Thus, the
body of the mother makes antibodies against the fetal blood cells.
These antibodies may cross the placenta into the developing fetus that
will destroy the babys circulating RBC.
o Firstborn infants are often not affected unless the mother had past
miscarriages or abortions that sensitized the mothers immune system,
because it takes time for the mother to develop antibodies. However
the children shell have later and are Rh-positive may be affected.
*This problem has become less common because special immune globulins
called RhoGHAM are routinely used.
Symptoms
o Destruction of RBC
o After birth (Infant)
Yellowing of the skin
Low muscle tone
Lethargy