Anyone who has experience in blood donation will know that besides A, B, AB and O blood types, there are also positive and negative points. Although negative blood type is not a disease and does not affect daily life, women with negative blood type need to pay special attention when they are pregnant to avoid fetal hemolytic anemia or even fetal death.
How blood type points positive and negative? Li Runting, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology, said, “It refers to whether there is rhesus monkey factor on red blood cells, that is, Rh(D) factor. Rh(D) factor is an antigen on the surface of red blood cells. If there is an antigen, it is positive blood, and if there is no antigen Negative blood type.” According to the Hong Kong Red Cross Society, only regarding 0.7% of Hong Kong’s population has negative blood type, which is very rare, also known as panda blood.
or produce anti-Rh(D) antibodies
Pregnant women with negative blood type will not increase pregnancy complications, such as gestational hypertension or gestational diabetes, but because negative blood type is quite rare, in order to reduce the chance of needing blood rounds during childbirth, doctors generally advise pregnant women to absorb enough iron, Prevent anemia; postpartum doctors will also inject drugs to strengthen uterine contraction.
When a woman with negative blood type is pregnant, she needs to draw blood immediately to check her partner’s blood type. Li Runting explained, “If both parents have negative blood type, the fetus will also have negative blood type, so there is no need for a mother with negative blood type during pregnancy. Matters needing attention. If the partner is positive blood, pregnant women with negative blood have the opportunity to conceive a fetus with positive blood. During pregnancy or childbirth, fetal red blood cells containing positive blood can enter the mother’s blood circulation through the placenta, stimulating the mother’s body produce antibodies once morest Rh(D).”
hemolytic anemia
In general, the first fetus is usually unaffected because a larger number of fetal red blood cells usually enter the mother at the time of delivery. But in the next pregnancy, the mother has already produced a large amount of anti-Rh(D) antibodies. These antibodies will pass through the placenta and destroy the positive red blood cells of the fetus, resulting in hemolytic anemia, edema, and even fetal death. Li Runting continued, “Once the body produces anti-Rh(D) antibodies, they will exist permanently. Therefore, if anti-Rh(D) antibodies are found in the early stages of pregnancy, we must closely monitor the levels of antibodies in the blood of pregnant women, and also Do regular ultrasound examinations to monitor the fetus for signs of anemia.”
prevent antibody production
Since the blood type test can only be done following the baby is born to know whether it is a positive blood type or a negative blood type, in order to avoid the above problems, it is very important to prevent the mother’s body from producing anti-Rh(D) antibodies. Li Runting pointed out, “When it is determined that the pregnant woman with negative blood type does not have anti-Rh(D) antibodies in her body, anti-Rh(D) immunoglobulin should be injected. The function is to destroy the Rh(D) antigen from fetal red blood cells, so as to inhibit the mother’s immune system during pregnancy. Produce anti-Rh(D) antibodies. Pregnant women need to do Rh(D) antibody screening in early pregnancy and before 28 weeks, and inject anti-Rh(D) immunoglobulin at 28 to 30 weeks. After the baby is born, it is found to be positive Pregnant women need to receive Rh(D) immune globulin injection within 72 hours following delivery, and if the baby has negative blood type, no other treatment is required.”
Originally published on AM730 https://www.am730.com.hk/Health/Negative Blood Pregnant Women-Beware of Fetal Hemolysis/348779?utm_source=yahoorss&utm_medium=referral
