If you have Rh negative blood, and your partner has Rh positive blood (or vice versa), the baby could be either positive or negative. Much like we thought of antigens being hats on our blood cells earlier, we can think of Rhesus factor being like a jacket positive blood groups wear a jacket, negative blood groups do not. But when a mother is Rh negative and her fetus is Rh positive, there can be health risks for that fetus and for the fetus of any subsequent pregnancies she may have. On its own the Rhesus factor does not cause health problems. Again whether your blood is positive or negative is not a concern until you are pregnant, at which time it is very important to know. Those without the Rhesus factor will have a negative blood group (A-, B-, AB- or O-). The same goes for the other blood groups (A+, AB+ and O+). For example, someone whose blood group was B and who also have the Rhesus factor, their blood type would be known as B positive (B+). There are many other antigens also, but the one that is known to effect pregnancy is D, and this is where Rhesus factor comes into the mix.Īlong with antigens (hats) and antibodies (the bully buddies) your blood also may or may not have a rhesus factor (Rh), being either positive or negative. This is why it is important to know your blood type if you were going to have a blood product transfusion because as you can see, certain blood groups interact with others without concern, whereas others must remain very separate. People with type O blood have no hats at all on their blood cells but have anti-A and anti-B antibodies. People with AB blood group have both A and B hats on their blood cells and have neither A nor B antibodies (what a friendly group)! Similarly, a lady whose blood type is B, carries B antigens (B hats) on her blood cells and her body has anti-A antibodies which would destroy any type A blood in her body. These antibodies destroy and type B blood cells that were found in her body. This woman would also have antibodies against type B blood cells called anti-B antibodies. They only like other cells that are wearing the same hat as them, and they have a store of bully buddies that get rid of any cell in the wrong hat (antibodies).Ī woman who has type A blood group, carries type A antigens (A hat) on each of her blood cells, which identify these cells as her own. You can think of antigens like hats – there are type A hats and type B hats, worn by the red cells of their specific blood groups. Each blood group has specific characteristics, which belong to them alone they carry antigens on your red blood cells and produce antibodies against other group antigens. These letters signify your blood group or type. We know from many years of research that there are four distinct blood groups A, B, AB and O. Firstly, let’s get an understanding of blood groups before we move on to why it is important during pregnancy. It is important to confirm your blood group when you are pregnant as it may have an impact and not just on this pregnancy, but on future pregnancies also. However your blood group is one of the first routine tests conducted when your pregnancy is confirmed. Some people will know what their blood type is if they have previously donated blood or if they have certain medical conditions, but it isn’t something that is necessarily at the forefront of your mind. Prior to pregnancy you may or may not have been aware of your blood group, as this may have had little significance in your life up to this point. Why is your blood group important in pregnancy?
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