General Information About Blood Incompatibility
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
It is an immunological conflict that occurs when the mother's blood type is Rh-negative (-) and the baby's blood type, inherited from the father, is Rh-positive (+).
The mother's immune system perceives the baby's (+) blood as a 'foreign substance' and produces antibodies to destroy it. These antibodies cross the placenta and destroy the baby's blood cells (hemolysis).
Usually, during the first pregnancy, the mother does not have enough time to produce antibodies, and the baby is born healthy. However, because the mother becomes sensitized, subsequent positive babies are in serious danger if precautions are not taken.
It can cause severe anemia, heart failure, and fluid accumulation (hydrops fetalis) in the baby while in the womb, and severe jaundice and intellectual disability after birth.
At the beginning of pregnancy, the blood types of the mother and father are checked. If there is an incompatibility, an Indirect Coombs Test is performed to determine if antibody production is occurring in the mother's blood.
It is one of medicine's most definitive solutions. To prevent sensitization, a 'Blood Incompatibility Injection' (Anti-D Immunoglobulin) is administered to the mother at the 28th week of pregnancy and within the first 72 hours after birth.
Our health library contents are prepared for informational purposes only and with scientific data available at the time of recording. For all your questions, concerns, diagnosis, or treatment regarding your health, please consult your doctor or a healthcare institution.
