This exam requires a healthcare professional to collect a sample of blood from a vein in the hand or arm to perform the test. The American Red Cross tests all blood donations for Rh factor along with blood type and various infectious diseases.
Nothing needs to be done to prepare for the screening test. However, to ensure a successful donation make sure to be well rested, well-nourished and hydrated before and after your appointment.
Local Home Page. What Is The Rh Factor? Why Is It Important? February 02, If your blood type is positive, then your blood cells have the Rh protein. Your immune system responds by making antibodies to fight and destroy these foreign cells. Your immune system stores these antibodies in case these foreign cells come back again.
This can happen in a future pregnancy. You are now Rh sensitized. Most issues occur in future pregnancies with another Rh positive baby. During that pregnancy, your antibodies cross the placenta to fight the Rh positive cells in your baby's body.
As the antibodies destroy the cells, your baby gets sick. Your baby could have jaundice, heart failure, and enlarged organs. Women who are Rh negative and are pregnant with a baby whose father is Rh positive are at risk for this condition. Symptoms can occur a bit differently in each pregnancy and child. During pregnancy, symptoms may include:. A yellow coloring of amniotic fluid.
This color may be because of bilirubin. This is a substance that is released when blood cells break down. Your baby may have a big liver, spleen, or heart. There may also be extra fluid in his or her stomach, lungs, or scalp.
These are signs of hydrops fetalis. This condition causes severe swelling edema. Rh disease can cause problems in your newborn. The condition caused by Rh disease in babies is called hemolytic disease of the newborn HDN. Your baby may have the following symptoms:. The symptoms of Rh disease may look like symptoms of other conditions. See your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
Your healthcare provider may suspect Rh disease if you had an Rh positive baby in a past pregnancy. Rh immune-globulin acts like a vaccine. It prevents the mother's body from making any Rh antibodies that could cause serious health problems in the newborn or affect a future pregnancy.
A woman also might get a dose of Rh immune-globulin if she has a miscarriage, an amniocentesis , or any bleeding during pregnancy. If a doctor finds that a woman has already developed Rh antibodies, her pregnancy will be closely watched to make sure that those levels are not too high. In rare cases, if the incompatibility is severe and a baby is in danger, the baby can get special blood transfusions called exchange transfusions either before birth intrauterine fetal transfusions or after delivery.
Exchange transfusions replace the baby's blood with blood with Rh-negative blood cells. This stabilizes the level of red blood cells and minimizes damage from Rh antibodies already in the baby's bloodstream. Thanks to the success rate of Rh immune-globulin shots, exchange transfusions in Rh-incompatible pregnancies are rarely needed in the United States. If you're not sure what your Rh factor is and think you're pregnant, it's important to start regular prenatal care as soon as possible — including blood-type testing.
With early detection and treatment of Rh incompatibility, you can focus on more important things — like welcoming a new, healthy baby. Reviewed by: Armando Fuentes, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What's an Rh Factor? For example: If a woman who is Rh negative and a man who is Rh positive conceive a baby, the fetus may have Rh-positive blood, inherited from the father.
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