The Rh Factor in Pregnancy: Do You Need RhoGam?

There are two Rh blood types: negative and positive. If you are O+, your Rh is positive and your blood does contain the Rhesus factor. If you are O-, then your Rh is negative and the Rhesus (Rh) factor is absent. The majority of people are Rh+. Being Rh- can pose problems for your baby in some cases during pregnancy. Do make sure that you get tested at some point to be sure what your blood type is if you do not know

You do not need to worry about the Rh factor if:

You are Rh+ You are Rh- AND your partner is also Rh- (you will produce an Rh- baby You are Rh- AND this is your first pregnancy (miscarriages count)

You may need to worry about the Rh factor if:

You are Rh- AND your partner is Rh+

You are Rh- AND your partner is Rh+ AND this is not your first pregnancy (miscarriages count)

You are Rh- AND you know that you are already sensitized to Rh+ blood (in this case, Rhogam will not be useful)

If you are Rh- and your partner is Rh-, your baby will be Rh- and there is no worry about the Rh factor. If you are Rh- and your partner is Rh+, then there is a chance that the baby may also be Rh+.

During pregnancy, the mother's and baby's blood do not usually mix. During birth and miscarriages, however, a small amount of the baby's blood from the placenta may mix with the mother's blood causing her to become "sensitized" and produce antibodies toward the Rh+ blood IF the baby was Rh+. This will not harm the baby of the mother's first pregnancy, but if the mother has another pregnancy in which the baby is Rh+, her body may treat the baby as an intruder and attack it because it developed antibodies against Rh+ blood from the previous pregnancy. This can result in mild or extreme cases of miscarriage, anemia in the baby, brain damage, and even death.

There is a shot available called Rhogam which can be given to the mother within 72 hours of birth and will usually desensitize her from producing antibodies to the Rh+ blood. This may protect future babies who are born with Rh+ blood. The Rhogam shot need only be administered after a pregnancy for a Rh+ baby.

Modern obstetrical procedures increase the risk of the mother's and baby's blood mixing. Surgical procedures, amniocentesis, cord traction, cutting the cord before the blood has drained, and caesarian section make it much more likely that the mother's blood will mix with her baby's blood. Giving birth gently and unassisted and prolonging cord-cutting reduce your chances of having any problems.

Rhogam is a human blood product, so you may want to opt against it if you are vegan or if your religion prohibits you from taking it. This product also does not last more than 12 weeks, so if you have had it with a previous baby and feel that you need it again, it will have to be re-administered. Rhogam also lists its possible side effects as immune damage, fever, vomiting, allergic reactions, and anaphylactic shock. Rhogam does not always work and may not desensitize a woman to Rh+ blood. Rhogam is preserved in thimerosal and does contain mercury. Because Rhogam is a human blood product, there is also a small possibility that any one shot may contain blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis the AIDS virus. These risks have caused many mothers to opt against taking the shot.

If you decide to take the Rhogam, you can do a blood test at home first to determine your baby's blood type. You will need a blood typing test kit such as an Eldoncard kit. These kits only cost a few dollars are usually very easy to use and come with full instructions. Once the baby is born, you can draw a small amount of blood from the umbilical cord and use the blood on the test kit to determine your baby's blood type. If your baby has Rh- blood, you will not need the Rhogam shot. If your baby has Rh+ blood you may decide to get tested to see if you need Rhogam.

Few Rh- mothers who give birth to Rh+ babies will need the shot, so if you like you can ask for testing to be done first in order to determine whether you need the shot. The shot must be administered within 72 hours of the birth. Rhogam will not work if the mother is already sensitized to Rh+ blood. A test called an "indirect Coombs test" or an antibody screen" will show if you have already developed antibodies to Rh+ blood. If you are already sensitized, you may wish to have future pregnancies screened by a hospital to be sure that your baby is not developing hemolytic disease. You will be labeled as a "high risk" pregnancy.

Some mothers decide against getting Rhogam. Be warned that this may cause problems for you when dealing with medical personnel. Mothers who do not take the Rhogam shot have been harassed both by the hospital and by child protective services. You may decline the shot for religious reasons and the doctor may not ask you about your religion.

There has been some speculation as to whether diet changes can change the Rh factor. Doctors will tell you that this is impossible, but some mothers claim that a diet change caused them to switch from Rh- to Rh+. These mothers insist that removing sugars, processed foods, flour, coffee and products containing white flour from their diet shifted the Rh factor to positive. Other methods for purifying the blood had helpful results. Some herbs which may work as blood tonics are red raspberry leaf tea, and false unicorn root. There are other herbs which cleanse the blood, but may be unsafe for use in pregnancy. If you wish to try this method, you should test yourself regularly either by going to a clinic or by using a home test kit.