Women’s Health Care Resources

If an Rh-negative person’s blood comes in contact with Rh-positive blood, the Rh-negative blood can become sensitized and produce antibodies to the Rh factor as if it were an invading foreign body. Therefore, if an Rh-negative mother becomes pregnant with an Rh-positive fetus, the woman’s body may produce antibodies to attack the baby’s Rh-positive red blood cells. This causes the breakdown of fetal blood cells and anemia and is often referred to as hemolytic disease of the newborn. This can be severe causing brain damage or even death to the baby. Once formed, these antibodies do not disappear so this can cause problems in subsequent pregnancies. Sensitization can also occur during a miscarriage, elective abortion or ectopic pregnancy.

Hemolytic Disease

Hemolytic disease can be prevented by an injection of Rh immunoglobulin (RhIg), also known as Rhogam. This is a blood product that essentially shields the Rh-negative mother from seeing the Rh factor on the baby’s blood cells. This in turn prevents the mother from forming antibodies and attacking the blood cells of the fetus.

Rhogam is used at 28 weeks of pregnancy and in certain situations, shortly after delivery. Rhogam is also administered after a miscarriage, abortion or ectopic pregnancy to prevent any chance of a woman forming antibodies that may attack a future fetus.