RHESUS FACTOR
This
factor is named after the Rhesus monkey in which it was first
observed, the Rhesus factor is found on the surface membrane of the red blood
cells, when the Rhesus factor is present on the red blood cell membrane, a
person is said to be Rhesus positive. Rh factor is an inherited protein
found on the surface of red blood cells.
The
Rhesus factor is one that can tell if the blood of two different individual can
be mixed or not for example the blood of the baby during birth and her mother.
This
is abbreviated as Rh+ (rhesus positive), if it is absent, the person is rhesus
(Rh-) negative, thus a person’s blood is said to be A+ if it is blood group A
but lacks the Rhesus factor. There are also B+ OR B-, O+ OR O- and AB+ or AB-
blood groups, usually the Rh+ is more common in a population than the rhesus
negative. If a rhesus negative woman marries a Rhesus positive man, their
children are highly likely to be rhesus positive
The
blood must be screened before it is transferred to another person if the blood
group and rhesus factor do not match then transfer of that blood to that
patient could bring seriously health problems and ultimately may kill the
patient.
If
the blood type is tested positive, then that blood cells contain rhesus protein
but if the blood type is tested negative then that blood cells lack rhesus
protein.
Although
Rhesus positive is the most common blood type, having a Rhesus negative type
does not indicate illness and usually doesn’t affect your health. Having rhesus negative may affect pregnancy if
the unborn baby is rhesus positive.
During
the last months of pregnancy, the Rhesus antigen from the foetus may
pass into the mother’s blood if the foetal blood leaks into the mother, this
causes the mother’s body to produce antibodies which destroy some of
the foetus’s red blood cell
This
destruction is minimal in the first child pregnancy, for the children that
follow, a lot of destruction can take place and death of the foetus may occur,
this is called a Rh disease or haemolytic disease of the
newborn or erythroblastosis foetalis, to prevent this, the mother is
treated with ant-rhesus globulin. This prevents her body from forming
antibodies against the rhesus antigen, however if there is no leakage that
causes mixing up of the two blood samples, no effect will occur
Important of
understanding the Rhesus factor
The
Rh factor help us to know what kind of blood should be donated to who, before
the blood transfusion the blood groups must be determined but also the rhesus
factors must be known to all patient,
A
person with the Rh positive factor will not make anti-Rh antibodies only those
with Rh negative factor will produce the antibodies. Hence someone with rhesus
positive blood can receive from both rhesus positive and rhesus negative
transfusions.
but
those with rhesus negative can only receive from rhesus negative blood. Before
the blood transfusion the blood group and rhesus factor must be checked out in
order to know their status after that then the doctors or health care provider
will conclude if the patients are worth to receive a blood transfusion.
Situation that can
cause mother’s blood to come in contact with baby during birth
Rotation
of the baby in the during birth, injury in the abdomen during pregnancy,
bleeding during pregnancy, different types of prenatal test, abortion and so on
PRECAUTION TO TAKE WHEN
PREGNANT
If
the pregnancy woman experience and vaginal bleeding contact the doctor or health
care provider immediately.
If
the pregnancy woman is rhesus positive and baby is rhesus negative, then talk
with your doctor or health care provider to schedule a Rh immune globulin
injection before giving birth
Keep
close communication with your doctor or your health care provider concerning
your health condition.