Counselling for Rhesus Factor

People belong to ABO and Rhesus (Rh) factor systems. Rhesus (Rh) factor is an inherited protein found on the surface of red blood cells. If your blood has the protein, you’re Rh-positive. If your blood lacks the protein, you’re Rh-negative.

A screening test can be done to identify whether one’s blood cells carry the Rh factor protein.

Rh-positive is the most common blood type. Such a person may be homozygous for the dominant allele (RR) or heterozygous for it (Rr).

Having an Rh-negative blood type is not an illness and usually does not affect health. However, it can affect pregnancy.

A Rhesus-negative person is homozygous for the recessive allele (rr)

If a Rh-negative mother is carrying a Rh-positive baby during pregnancy, problems can occur. Usually, the baby’s blood and the mother’s blood do not mix during pregnancy, however, a small amount of the baby’s blood could come in contact with the mother’s blood during delivery.

The Rh-negative mother’s body might produce anti-Rhesus antibodies after exposure to the Rh-positive baby’s red blood cells.

During the first pregnancy, the antibodies produced are not a problem, but in the next pregnancy, if your next baby is Rh positive, the Rh antibodies produced in the first pregnancy can cross the placenta and damage the next baby’s red blood cells, which could lead to life-threatening anaemiaAnaemia is when the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin. Red blood cells and haemoglobin (the molecule in red blood cells that makes them red) are... More, miscarriage or stillbirth.

Red blood cells are needed to carry oxygen throughout the body.

A baby can inherit the Rh factor from either parent. If a Rhesus-negative woman (rr) marries a Rhesus-positive man (RR or Rr), the couple should seek counselling because it is highly likely the woman will give birth to a Rhesus-positive child.