Thread by @DrAtangwho

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RHESUS INCOMPATIBILITY

If the #RhesusStatus of your partner or spouse is not compatible with yours & you do nothing about it, it can lead to repeated miscarriages, jaundice in your baby, & stillbirths.

A thread 🧵

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Every person's blood group can either be A, B, AB or O.

Similarly, we are all classified as Rhesus Positive (Rh+) or Rhesus Negative (Rh-). This depends on whether you have a protein called #RhesusAntigen on the surface of our red blood cells or not.

If you have rhesus antigens on your red blood cells, you are RHESUS POSITIVE.

If you don't have rhesus antigens on your red blood cells, you are RHESUS NEGATIVE.

The "+" or "-" sign usually attached to your blood group stands for your rhesus status!

Majority of people are Rh+. So blood groups A+, B+, AB+, & O+ are fairly common.

Only few people are Rh-. That's why blood groups A-, B-, AB- & O- are somewhat rare.

In fact, studies have shown that only 15% of women are Rh-.

The rest are Rh+.

If a Rh- woman is impregnated by a Rh+ man, there is a high risk of Rhesus Incompatibility in that pregnancy.

As far as your partners rhesus status is concerned, just remember this:

Rh+ father + Rh+ mother = No problem

Rh- father + Rh- mother = No problem

Rh- father + Rh+ mother = No problem

But;
Rh+ father + Rh- mother = 50% chance of baby having Rh+ blood.

Rhesus incompatibility happens when there's a mix of Rh+ & Rh- blood.

For example, it can happen during blood transfusion, accidental exchange of blood (like in accidents), & during pregnancy-related events.

We'll focus more on what happens during pregnancy.

If you're a Rh- woman pregnant with a Rh+ baby (inherited from your baby's father), this is what happens:

Blood from the baby can cross into your bloodstream, maybe during delivery, abortions, miscarriages, or ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the womb).

As your baby's Rh+ blood crosses into your bloodstream, your Rh- blood will react to the baby's blood as a foreign substance.

This reaction can make your blood cells to produce #antibodies against the rhesus #antigens in your baby's blood.

Remember that antibodies are natural substances inside your blood that protect you by fighting against foreign substances called antigens.

The antibodies made against antigens in your baby's blood won't cause wahala during your first pregnancy!

In fact, you'll deliver that first baby before many of them are fully formed.

But they will stay in your body once formed, waiting for your second or later pregnancies.

As soon as you're pregnant for your next baby, the Rhesus antibodies or "solders" can match across the placenta & attack your baby's red blood cells viciously.

This attack can make your baby's red blood cells to swell, burst & die, causing #Anemia (low red blood cells level) in your baby.

Medics call this Erythroblastosis Fetalis (hope you didn't bite your tongue pls!😜)

The baby's red blood cells (killed by the rhesus "soldiers" from the mother) are supposed to carry oxygen to your baby through the placenta.

So, as your baby no longer gets enough oxygen, heart failure sets in & the baby may #die inside the womb as miscarriage or stillbirth.

Some babies that make it to delivery might have massive #jaundice (yellowness of the eyes) at birth which is another big problem!

Also, fluid may accumulate in the baby's body which becomes swollen like a balloon🎈 (a condition called hydrops fetalis).

The good news is that Rhesus incompatibility can be prevented.

As a Rh- mother, as long as you take Rhesus immune globulin injection at the correct times, you can prevent this problem.

But once you have formed Rhesus antibodies, the medicine can no longer help.

So listen to this advice carefully:

If you're pregnant, go for antennal care. Ensure your doctor screens you for your Rhesus status to avoid stories that touch!

The rhesus screening test will allow your doctor to find out early if your pregnancy is at risk of Rh incompatibility

If you're at risk, your doctor should do the right thing.

You should be carefully checked throughout your pregnancy & treated with Rhesus Immune Globulin injections at the appropriate dose & timing.

This injection can prevent your body from making Rhesus antibodies.

If you've had a miscarriage, induced abortion, ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the womb) especially for a man whom you never knew his Rhesus status, you are at risk too.

You should be properly checked by your doctor & given Rhesus immune globulin if indicated.

Let me repeat for the last time: 🔃

If you're a woman with Rh- blood you should be treated with Rh immune globulin;

-during each pregnancy
-miscarriage
-abortion, or
-any other event that allows your blood to mix with Rh+ blood.

Let's fight this together!
@DrAtangwho

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