Rhesus Factor is an antigen that exists on the surface of red blood cells in most people (about 85% of humans). It is also referred to as Rh Factor.
Types of Rhesus Factor:
1. Rh + (positive)
2. Rh - (negative)
A. Positive Rhesus Factor (Rh+)
People who have the Rh “positive” (+) blood types, such as A+, B+, O+ or AB+
are said to be rhesus Factor positive
B. Negative Rhesus Factor (Rh-)
who have the Rh “negative” (-) blood types, suchas A–, B-, O– or AB– are said to be rhesus factor negative .
The “+” and “-” after the blood group is the Rhesus factor. Generally, we have A+, A–,
B+, B–, AB+, AB–, O+ and O–. Rhesus factor isgenetic in nature. It is inherited from the parents, emphatically the father.
How Does Rhesus Factor Causes Miscarriage?
If a Rh– woman is impregnated by a man with Rh–, there wouldn’t be any problem. However, if a Rh– woman is impregnated by a man with Rh+,
there would be a problem if the baby inherits Rh+ from the father. We have here what is medically called Rhesus Factor Incompatibility. The baby would obviously be Rh+. During child birth, once the baby’s Rh+ comes in contact with the woman Rh- during delivery, the antibodies are immediately activated by the woman’s body’s immune system.
The activated antibodies would see the new Rh+ as foreign body or a threat and consequently they would be at alert to attack and get rid of the foreign body. Unfortunately as such, after this particular child birth, the woman would keep having miscarriages because the activated antibodies would see subsequent Rh+ pregnancies as foreign bodies and would keep fighting and taking them off.
Women with Rh activated antibodies are said to be Rh sensitized and once these antibodies are activated, they can never be deactivated until the woman dies. Rh induced antibodies are activated in a Rh- woman by child birth, abortion, miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy.
When a Rh– woman had an abortion for a Rh+ man and the antibodies are activated in her system, the woman might end up childless throughout her life except if she later marries another man with with the same Rh–.
The possibility of a Rh– woman finding a Rh– man is slim as about 85% of human beings are Rh+.
This is an advice for all female
If you’re with Rh– and your fiance is Rh+, and you haven’t aborted any prenancy for him and you don’t want to leave him, then, you need to take note of the following: In order to prevent the activation of the antibodies, doctors would give women in this category an injection called Rhogam during and after pregnancy to prevent spontaneous miscarriage due to Rhesus factor incompatibility. The injection is normally administered 28 weeks into pregnancy, 72 hours after delivery, after ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage or abortion. If the injection is not administered and the antibodies
are activated, they would never be deactivated again!.
In many African cultures up till today, women who are so unfortunate to find themselves having serial spontaneous abortions due to Rhesus factor incompatibility are considered witches by some of their people. Some of the
women would accuse their in-laws of being behind their predicament.
So, if you’re a woman with Rh– , you need to be very careful. It might be difficult for you to get a husband with a Rh– because about 85% of human beings are Rh+. So, in order not to find yourself in the aforementioned problem, put all
that have been said at the back of your mind and go for genetic counselling. If you have a daughter or a sister with Rh–, counsel them on Rhesus Factor Incompatibility and the dangers
lying therein.
It should also be noted that a Rh– person (man or woman) cannot receive blood donation from a Rh+ person even if they have the same blood group. The consequence of such blood transfusion is fatal. It would lead to death as the blood would clot. This is due to the incompatibility in their Rhesus factor.
KNOW YOUR RHESUS FACTOR TODAY!!!
