Three Rh negative women are expecting their first babies…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Three Rh negative women are expecting their first babies.
- Woman P carries an Rh positive foetus. Why is her baby safe in this pregnancy?
- After the delivery, what should be done for woman P, and why?
- Woman Q is Rh negative, and her foetus is Rh negative. Is there a risk? Explain.
- Woman R was not treated after her first delivery, and her second foetus is Rh positive. What may happen to the foetus?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
A transfusion is safe when no antigen of the donor meets its antibody in the recipient. Group A has antigen A and anti-B. Group B has antigen B and anti-A. Group AB has both antigens and no antibodies. Group O has no antigen and both antibodies. An Rh negative mother with an Rh positive foetus makes anti-Rh antibodies after the first delivery.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. (a) The blood of the mother and of the foetus does not mix during the pregnancy. The mother has not made antibodies yet.
Step 2. (b) She should be given anti-Rh antibodies immediately after the delivery. They remove the Rh positive cells of the baby that entered her blood, so her body does not start to make its own antibodies.
Step 3. (c) No risk. The foetus has no Rh antigen, so the mother has nothing to make antibodies against.
Step 4. (d) Her antibodies cross to the foetus and destroy its red cells. The foetus may have severe anaemia and jaundice, which is erythroblastosis foetalis, and it may die.
Answer: (a) the bloods do not mix; (b) give anti-Rh antibodies at once; (c) no risk; (d) erythroblastosis foetalis.
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