Rh factor is a protein that may be present on your red blood cells in addition t

Question

Rh factor is a protein that may be present on your red blood cells in addition to the A and B antigens. Rh acts as an antigen just like A and B. a. Watch this video: http://medmovie.com/portfolio-item/rh-factor-sensitization/ b. When an Rh^- woman is pregnant with an Rh^+ baby, doctors must monitor the mother carefully to check whether she is producing antibodies to the Rh antigen. Explain why the mother could make antibodies to Rh and how these could be damaging to the baby. c. If an Rh woman has a second child who is also Rh^+, doctors are even more vigilant about monitoring Rh antibody levels. Using your knowledge of antibody response to a second exposure, explain why there is more concern for the second Rh^+ baby. d. When an Rh^+ woman is pregnant with an Rh baby, there is no special monitoring that must be done. Why not?

Explanation / Answer

Rh is also an antigen present on the surface of Red Blood cells(RBC).This antigen is not necessarily present in all blood cells in some human beings it is present and some it is abent .If Rh factor is present the person is Rh+ if it is absent the person is Rh-.Rh factor is discovered in Rhesus monkey so it is also called Rhesus factor.During blood transfusion compatibility of Rh factor should be considered along with blood group compatibity.Since blood types and Rh factors are inherited from the parents,and if mother and father are Rh- and Rh+ respectively they may have an Rh+ baby.In this scenario,the mother's blood is incompatible with the baby's and if it is not treated this can cause serious problems for the baby.

b)When a Rh- woman is pregnant with a Rh+ baby doctors should monitor the mother carefully because during pregnancy particularly at the time of delivery a small amount of the baby's blood can cross into the mother's bloodstream.Since mother is Rh- and baby is Rh+,mother's body can react to the baby's blood as body consider it as foreign substance. Mother's immune system can make antibodies that can cross the placenta and attack the baby's red blood cells.Since baby is often born before the woman's body develops antibodies the risk is minimal during first pregnancy.

c)If a Rh- woman has a second child who is also Rh+ the doctors are more vigilant about monitoring Rh antibody levels because the antibodies which are produced during first pregnancy may remain in the blood can cause serious problems.Rh antibodies from mother's body may cross the placenta and attack the blood of an Rh+fetus.Fetal red blood cells may get destroyed because of Rh antibodies,if red blood cells are destroyed faster than the body can replace them this causes hemolytic anemia.Fetus will not get enough oxygen since RBC cells which carry oxygen to all parts of the body gets destroyed.This can lead to serious illness. This may even be fatal to the fetus.

c)When an Rh+ woman is pregnant with an Rh- baby,there is no special monitoring that must be done because a woman who is Rh+does have Rh factor/protein,since the body will show immune response only if it detects any foreign factor.Mother's antibody response will not be triggered if the baby is Rh-.

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