5. A baby’s blood type is typically not known until after it is born. If the mot

Question

5. A baby’s blood type is typically not known until after it is born. If the mother has Rh(-) blood, she may receive an injection of a drug called Rhogam to prevent her immune system from seeing the baby’s blood (and as a consequence, the entire baby) as a foreign entity.

a. In this case, why might her body see the baby as a foreign entity?

b. Does this matter more for the first child or subsequent children? Why?

c. If the mother’s blood and baby’s blood are incompatible, what would happen to the baby after it is born (assuming it makes it to term)? (Tell me the name of the disease, briefly how it works, and what symptoms you might see in the newborn.)

Explanation / Answer

a] The mother's blood Rh-- . This means it lacks the rhesus factor, an antigen or protein , which is present on the red blood cells of Rh+ people . Rh- blood is incompatible with Rh+ blood even if it of the same blood group. So, the mother's body will see the baby as a foreign entity if the baby's blood is Rh+ .

b] Such a case does not matter much for the first child but is very dangerous for the second or third child.

During the first pregnancy, a small amount of baby's blood can cross into the mothers blood stream. This is more probable during delivery. The mother's blood will react to the baby's blood as though it is a foreign substance and the immune system starts producing antibodies which can cross the placenta and and attack the baby's red blood cells. During the first pregnancy the effect might be minimal because the reaction of the immune system is slower. But once produced, these antibodies remain in the blood and will cause more serious problems the next time the woman gets pregnant.

c] In such cases the Rh factor incompatibility does not cause signs and symptoms in the mother but can be fatal for the baby.

The baby will suffer from a disease called hemolytic anemia, a condition in which the red blood cells are destroyed. If the RBCs are destroyed, the body cells do not get enough oxygen because oxygen is carried by the red pigment haemoglobin present in the RBCs.

Further, as a result of the breakdown of RBCs, bilirubin builds up in the baby's body , causing the skin and eye white to be yellow. A severely high bilirubin can damage the baby's brain. The newborn might also have heart failure because the heart has to work harder. If severe, hemolytic anemia can result in the death of the newborn at birth or within a short period of time after birth.

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