Pregnant Mother With Negative Blood Group
WHAT IS A NEGATIVE BLOOD GROUP?
To understand this simply, you need to know that red blood cells(RBC) in the human body have certain proteins on their surface. There can be many types, but the most predominantly used blood grouping system “ABO blood grouping” uses proteins by the name A & B.
When an RBC has an ‘A’ protein on them is blood group A, with a ‘B’ protein on them is blood group B, with both proteins on them its blood group is ‘AB’ and with neither of these proteins present on them, its blood group is ‘O’.
There is also another protein known as ‘RhD’. If this is present on the RBC then the blood group is ‘+’ve. If this protein is not present then the blood group is negative.
So if you have ‘A’ protein on your RBC and no ‘RhD’ protein, then the blood group is ‘A (-)ve’. Every other blood group is determined this way.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Now we need to know that if a (-)ve blood group woman marries a (+)ve blood group man and gets pregnant with him, then there is a chance that the baby in the womb may have (+)ve blood group. If that is the case then in the first pregnancy, some RBCs of the baby pass into the mother’s blood due to various reasons (elaborated later), which
produces antibodies against the ‘RhD’ protein on the baby’s RBC.
This antibody development if not prevented can cause dire consequences in future pregnancies, causing severe anemia in the baby and also the death of the baby before or after delivery in all future pregnancies.
SOME REASONS FOR A BABY’S BLOOD MIXING WITH MOTHER’S?
- Induced
- Spontaneous miscarriage.
- Any bleeding inside the uterus during
- Any diagnostic procedure like Amniocentesis, Chorionic villous biopsy.
- Normally at certain times in the pregnancy.
GYNECOLOGIST’S ROLE?
Pregnant women with negative blood groups should therefore always be under regular supervision during their pregnancy, giving the gynecologist adequate opportunity to detect the development of these antibodies & also take preventive measures against their development.
To know more about this condition and seek help you can book an appointment with me by calling on 9830047058/8017815356 OR you can go to the appointments section on deborjyotipal.com
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