Rh-ABO Incompatibility

While many people hardly give a passing thought to their blood type on a day-to-day basis, the topic of Rh-ABO Incompatibility is extremely important for expecting mothers. Unfortunately, it is possible for a mother and child to have incompatible blood types. Depending upon the mother’s blood type and the father’s blood type, the baby could be at risk for potentially life-threatening consequences, if appropriate medical testing and intervention doesn’t take place. There was a time when blood incompatibility was very dangerous, but thanks to scientific advancements, women can safely give birth to healthy babies, even if their blood types are incompatible. This of course, depends upon whether or not screening and treatment was performed in time.

Abo Blood Incompatibility

ABO blood incompatibility typically happens when a mother who has O blood carries a baby with A or B blood. It’s important to note that ABO blood incompatibility isn’t as serious as Rh blood incompatibility. In some cases, the incompatibility can cause a hemolytic disease in the newborn baby, which does require immediate medical intervention. In most cases, these babies might be at a higher risk for developing jaundice. Either way, your doctor should be on top of any potential developments that arise in association with ABO incompatibility.

Rh-Blood Incompatibility 

Rh blood incompatibility occurs in cases when a mother is Rh negative and a father is Rh positive. If the baby is Rh positive, there is a risk for serious pregnancy complications, especially in a second or subsequent pregnancy. This is why blood type testing is so important. In the past, this type of incompatibility could have been a death sentence for a baby, especially for any babies that arrive after the first-born. Thanks to scientific advancements, women in their first pregnancies are now given Rh immune-globulin shots at the 28th week and about 72 hours around delivery. These shots can help to keep a woman’s body from producing any dangerous Rh antibodies that could attack a newborn baby’s blood or make subsequent pregnancies very dangerous.

Detection and Treatment 

Blood testing and intervention with Rh immune-globulin shots are absolutely essential, and failing to do so puts pregnancies and babies at great risk for potentially life-threatening conditions and injuries. Rh incompatibility doesn’t have to put lives at risk. All doctors have to do is follow all pre-natal safety guidelines to ensure mothers and babies are protected from preventable harm. If you’re not tested and treated, your baby and future pregnancies can be at risk for severe life-threatening complications of Rh incompatibility. If your doctor failed to detect a blood incompatibility and in turn, you were not given the appropriate injections during your first pregnancy, you need to contact a personal injury lawyer who has proven birth injury case experience as soon as possible. Listed below are potential complications of Rh incompatibility if a doctor fails to detect and treat.

 Potential Complications of Rh Incompatibility