Every pregnant woman with negative blood type should receive an injection of immunoglobulin during pregnancy or shortly after delivery to avoid complications in the baby.
This is because when a woman has Rh negative and comes into contact with Rh positive blood (from the baby during delivery, for example) her body will react by producing antibodies against positive RH, the name of which is awareness of HR.
There are usually no complications during the first pregnancy because the woman only comes into contact with the baby's blood during delivery, but there is the possibility of a car accident or other urgent invasive medical procedure that may put the mother's blood in contact and of the baby, and if that happens, the baby can undergo serious changes.
The solution to avoid sensitizing the mother to Rh is for the woman to take an injection of immunoglobulin during pregnancy, so that her body does not form anti-Rh positive antibodies.
Who needs to take immunoglobulin
Treatment with immunoglobulin injection is indicated for all pregnant women with Rh negative blood whose father has RH positive, since there is a risk that the baby will inherit the Rh factor from the father and also be positive.
There is no need for treatment when both the mother and father of the child have Rh negative because the baby also has RH negative. However, the doctor may choose to treat all women with Rh negative, for safety reasons, because the baby's father may be another.
How to take immunoglobulin
The treatment indicated by the doctor when the woman has Rh negative consists of taking 1 or 2 injections of anti-D immunoglobulin, following the following schedule:
- During pregnancy: Take only 1 injection of anti-D immunoglobulin between 28-30 weeks of gestation, or 2 injections at weeks 28 and 34, respectively; After delivery: If the baby is Rh positive, the mother must have an injection of anti-D immunoglobulin within 3 days after delivery, if the injection has not been done during pregnancy.
This treatment is indicated for all women who want more than 1 child and the decision not to undergo this treatment should be discussed with the doctor.
The doctor may decide to carry out the same treatment regimen for each pregnancy, because the immunization lasts for a short time and is not definitive. When treatment is not carried out the baby may be born with Reshus Disease, check the consequences and treatment for this disease.
