Rh-conflict between mother and fetus

One of the many blood tests that is required to hand over to a future mother is the determination of the Rh factor. Many people know about the existence of Rh-conflict, but not everyone understands what is hidden under this phrase. Let's see what this situation implies during pregnancy, and also how dangerous it is and how it can be avoided.

Rhesus-conflict between mother and child - what is it?

Let's start with the concept of the Rh factor. This is a special protein called "antigen", located on the surface of blood red blood cells. The overwhelming majority of people have it, and then the analysis will be positive. But 15% of people do not have it and Rhesus is negative, which creates the possibility of conflict.

If the future mother has a rhesus with a minus sign, and the father, on the contrary, has a "plus", there is a 50% probability of the inheritance of the baby's father's genes by the baby. But leads directly to the Rhesus-conflict is the ingestion of red blood cells of the fetus into the bloodstream of the mother, when, in fact, this dangerous situation begins to develop.

Than in pregnancy is dangerous Rh-conflict?

It looks like a conflict of Rh factor in pregnancy so. Getting to the mother, the blood of the unborn child is perceived by her body as a foreign substance, as a result of which the immune system of this woman gives a signal to the development of antibodies. As a result of their effects, the baby's erythrocytes decay, which provokes dangerous consequences of Rh-conflict during pregnancy:

• jaundice;
• enlargement of the liver, kidneys and heart;
• alloimmune thrombocytopenia;
• fetal hypoxia;
• hemolytic anemia.

The enlarged internal organs of the fetus can be easily seen using conventional ultrasound. If, with the initial symptoms of Rh syndrome, pregnancy treatment has not been undertaken, pregnancy can end very sad: the child is born a patient (dropsy, swelling syndrome), or dead.

That is why it is so important in pregnancy to prevent Rhesus-conflict between mother and child and in time to carry out its prevention, which is as follows. When fetal blood enters the bloodstream of the mother (and this can happen with placental abruption and any other bleeding), it is necessary to immediately administer to her intramuscularly immunoglobulin, which will interfere with the production of antibodies. Today, the most common medical practice is the introduction of this drug for preventive purposes at 28 and 34 weeks, and then within 72 hours after delivery.