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THE RH FACTOR AND RHOGAM The Rh factor is a protein found on red blood cells. An individual who has the protein is said to be Rh positive; one who does not have the protein is Rh negative. Thus, your blood type may be O positive, A negative, and so on. The presence or absence of the Rh factor does not affect a person’s health, but it can cause problems during pregnancy. If Rh positive blood is mixed with an Rh negative woman’s blood, her system can create antibodies to fight the Rh factor. During pregnancy, even though the mother and baby have separate blood circulations, blood from the baby can cross the placenta and enter into the mother’s system. This can occur during prenatal diagnostic procedures like amniocentesis and CVS . The antibodies against the Rh factor take some time to develop, but once the mother’s body forms the antibodies, they remain in her blood for the rest of her life. For this reason, it is not the first Rh positive baby who is at risk, but subsequent pregnancies. The antibodies can cause hemolytic disease in the baby, the symptoms of which can include jaundice, heart failure, anemia, brain damage, or fetal death. RhoGam is a substance that prevents an Rh negative mother’s body from manufacturing antibodies against the Rh factor. Prior to a procedure such as amniocentesis and CVS, the mother's blood is drawn to confirm her blood type and to determine whether an antibody against the Rh factor is present. The RhoGam injection is given to the mother following the procedure.
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