Implications of a "Negative" Blood Type

220 Comments:

• At Fri Apr 06, 08:22:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Hi. I have been married for close to 6 years already and would really want to have child of my own. I am 37 years old and Type Blood O. Recently, I found out that my husband is A-. Would this be a possibility of me not conceiving all these times? Thanks very much.
  Mae Sy

   

• At Sat Apr 07, 01:02:00 AM 2007,  Steph said…

  I wish this information had been available twenty five years ago. Good explaination, much better than I recieved at the time! I did have the injection after my first child but my second had to be induced at thirty seven weeks, had to have a full blood transfusion and was diagnosed with CP at nine months, due to my Rh neg reaction with his blood group.

   

• At Thu Apr 12, 01:49:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Thank you, someone finally explained this in layman's terms! I understand blood-typing and I'm not a third-year med student!

   

• At Thu Apr 26, 05:53:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  Thanks to all of you for reading and for your questions and positive feedback!
  
  Mae, at your age, if you have not successfully gotten pregnant in 6 years, you need to seek out a specialist in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility as soon as possible. Don't "beat around the bush!" You need a real expert who can evaluate you and your partner and help you FAST. At your age, you are running out of options quickly. Best of luck to you!

   

• At Sun May 13, 12:32:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Hello. I have one daughter, who was born 9 years ago now & since I have had two miscarriages, both of which have ended in the first trimester. I have known I am rhesus negative since falling pregnant with my daughter. I have advised the midwifes of my blood group each time I find out I am pregnant again & they have advised me that its not really of any concern unless I get to 12 weeks. I have bled early in both miscarriages & after some research I believe I should have been given the anti-d injection before the 12 weeks stage. Can you please tell me if this really is the case & if my blood group could be the reason I am having now experiencing problems carrying a child to term?

   

• At Wed May 16, 06:39:00 AM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  It is the standard of care to administer Rh-immune globulin to Rh-negative women who miscarry, regardless of the gestational age, unless the known father of the baby is also Rh-negative. It is highly unlikely that your blood type is responsible for the miscarriages. Even if you were 'Rh-sensitized' (i.e., had antibodies to Rh), this usually does not cause problems until later in pregnancy.

   

• At Wed May 16, 10:19:00 AM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Hello,
  
  If both of my parents are A+ and I am O- is that possible and why? Thank G.H.

   

• At Thu May 17, 10:35:00 AM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  Yes, it is possible and that means each of your parents MUST be heterozygous for both their major blood group (in this case A) and their RhD status. That means they each have only one dose of each of those genes, rather than two. In other words, each of your parents MUST be A,O/RhD+,RhD-. Remember, we each have two sets of chromosomes, one we got from each of our parents. In the case of the genes for major blood groups and Rh, you only need to have ONE gene that codes for a major blood group or Rh to give you the appearance (phenotype)of that group or Rh status. In your case, you could have ended up as A,A/Rh+,Rh+ (which looks like A+); A,O/Rh+,Rh- (which looks like A+); O,O/Rh+,Rh- (which looks like O+), or O,O/Rh-,Rh- (which is what you are, O-). Of course, all this assumes these really are both your parents, but I am not going to open up that can of worms!

   

• At Mon May 21, 07:50:00 AM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  37 years ago i gave birth to a postive child .i am rh a negitive .he died 2 years ago every organ in him was enlarged.i did not receive the injection after his birth.the second child had my blood type.he seems to be ok .no one explained these complications to me.

   

• At Mon May 21, 10:12:00 AM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  Hi, I am sorry about your son, but I am not clear about what happened to him. You are Rh-negative, but are you also Rh-sensitized or did he die from some other problem?

   

• At Mon May 21, 10:17:00 AM 2007,  shirley said…

  i had a r h positive baby 37 years ago .i am rh a neg my husband was rh a pos.they forgot to give me the shot .he died 2 years ago all of his organs were enlarged.he had heart dicease.lung failure .kidney failure .i wish i had known of these problems years ago.

   

• At Mon May 28, 05:17:00 AM 2007,  mary said…

  Hi. I am rh- and both my parents are rh+, how is this possible? my school biology tells me this cannot be.

   

• At Mon May 28, 12:31:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  Hi Mary,
  Yes it IS possible. Assuming they ARE your parents, they must both be HETEROZYGOTES (each having one Rh-positive and one Rh-negative gene). Going back to H.S. biology, each time they got together, they would have a 1/4 chance of having an Rh-negative baby (two Rh-negative genes) and a 3/4 chance of having an Rh-positive baby (1/4 chance of having a baby that had two Rh-positive genes + 2/4 chance of having a baby with one Rh-positive and one Rh-negative gene -just like them). Rh-positive acts as a DOMINANT gene and only one dose of it needs to be expresssed for them to be 'Rh-positive.' See my comments from May 17 above. If both of your parents were Rh- negative, you could not be Rh-positive, but the opposite is not true! You don't need to ask your Mom who your real Daddy is!

   

• At Sat Jun 09, 07:23:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  HI
  I am O-positive and pregnant and I was wondering if there are any risks for my baby. I am know three months pregnant, and I havent had any shots.

   

• At Mon Jun 11, 12:28:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  If you are O-positive, then that means you are 'Rh-positive'and should be at very low risk for isoimmunization problems. Even if you had a blood transfusion in the past, part of the 'routine' labs done by your doctor is an 'antibody screen' which looks for other antibodies you could have developed to blood that is 'foreign' to yours. Presumably this antibody screen was also negative or they would have told you about it.
  
  Occasionally, women with O blood types can have babies that have problems with 'major blood group incompatibilities'. If you are O, then you will have antibodies against blood types A and B. Usually those antibodies are IgM antibodies and are too big to get across the placenta to the baby. However, sometimes folks will also make the smaller IgG antibodies that will cross the placenta and may cause the baby to break down its own blood as happens with Rh-isoimmunization. Unlike Rh-disease, this very rarely causes severe anemia while the baby is in the womb, but occasionally will cause the baby to have some anemia and prolonged elevation of bilirubin (a breakdown product of the hemoglobin released from the damaged red blood cells)and may require therapy for that.
  
  Anyway, don't sweat that right now. Sounds like things are going well, so have a great pregancy! Thanks for reading and for your question.

   

• At Sun Jun 17, 09:28:00 AM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Im not happy with some of the choices that I have made.With my first abortion I learned that I was B-, I didnt know exactly what that ment. I did know that it wasnt exactly good being that I had to have shots before and after the abortion so that {from what they said} my body wouldnt go into some hormonal shock.Gradually I learned on my own that my body{if I were to have a child }would actually fight off the child that was growing inside of me! Even now I wonder if I were to be pregnant again what should I do? Would I need to get shots right away? And if I didnt during the first trimester would I be indangering my child? All these things you need to know. After my second abortion my doctor forgot to give me my shot, which was needed. Next thing you know Im in emergency. I guess my question is why are these shots sooooo important? And why must you have them pre and post abortion? Without injections will it cause you your life? Also I by no means feel that abortion should be used as a controseptive, but lets get real. I myself have had three abortions, and all were, there was no discussing it had to be done!Im not proud, but there was no way in hell I was going to bring a child into this world without me at least having some kind of right mind and proper education. Now there are no excuses.

   

• At Tue Jun 19, 04:08:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  Hey there. STOP KICKING YOURSELF!!!! The reason we give the Rh-immune globulin (antibodies against Rh-positive blood cells) to women during and after any pregnancy is to prevent them from developing their own antibodies to Rh-positive red blood cells. The immune globulin helps to kill off any red cells you might be exposed to from an Rh-positive baby and then the antibodies are gone and cannot hurt you or another baby. If you do develop your own antibodies, these stay in your body and may affect an Rh-positive baby (see my post on that subject) in the future. These antibodies do NOT cause miscarriages early in pregnancy, but they will not harm you. It is your doctors responsibility to give that to you after a miscarriage or an abortion. If you are worried about this, have someone check your "blood type and antibody screen" before you decide to carry a baby. If the antibody screen is "positive", that means you have developed antibodies and your doctor can explain what that might mean for a pregnancy. Doctors routinely do that as part of the blood work that gets done on all pregnant women anyway. By the way, there are reliable contraceptive options available to you if you really don't want to get pregnant. That would be so much better than having repeated abortions!

   

• At Thu Jun 21, 12:11:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Can You explain how two parents both O+ can have a child O-.

   

• At Sun Jun 24, 06:18:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous from June 21: See my response to Mary on May 28, 2007. That will answer your question too! Your folks must BOTH be heterozygous - that means they each only carry one Rh-positive gene rather than two. Thanks for reading!

   

• At Sun Jun 24, 07:46:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  I am currently 31 weeks pregnant with my 5th child. With an O- blood type and my husband having an O+ blood type, I became sensitized in my 2nd pregnancy. My babies were born quite jaundiced, but no other health issues. I just happen to be concerned this time around, however, that I'm not doing enough to ensure the health of my unborn child. My doctor does the tither screening each month and seems to think that my numbers are low and stable. I have done research, however, and my tither being 1:40 last time I checked seems like a high number. Should I be seeing a specialist? Should the baby's well being be better monitored?

   

• At Thu Jun 28, 06:13:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Hello,
  Brilliant article. Assists understanding of the complex Rh blood typing.
  Trying to understand the subject.
  Cheers
  Wally
  New Zealand.
  Fri June 29th, 07.13.15 PM

   

• At Sat Jun 30, 01:25:00 PM 2007,  Caroline said…

  Hi, I am O+ & my husband is A, our son is O-. I have had 2 blighted ova in a row and am concerned that I am developing antibodies to my fetus which could most likely be A as well as A is dominant over O right? What do you think & what can I do?
  Thanks

   

• At Sun Jul 01, 02:53:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  Wally, thanks for readng and for your kind comments. Hope the article helped!

   

• At Mon Jul 02, 09:55:00 AM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Caroline June 30: If your blood type is O, you already have antibodies to both A and B major blood group antigens. This is 'normal' and should not affect you ability to carry a pregnancy. If you had blighted ovums twice, these were most likely chromosomammly abnormal pregnancies. Unless you have developed some underlying medical condition (e.g., thyroid disease, autoantibodies, fibroids, uterine polyp, etc...), or either you or your spouse has a chromosomal rearrangement that would increase your risks for creating gametes that are abnormal (and you were lucky and rolled the dice right with your son), you probably will do just fine in the long run. The best thing you've got going for you is having already had a baby with your current partner. Hang in there. If you do have another miscarriage, consider having chromosome studies done on the products of conception and perhaps beginning a more thorough workup for recurrent early pregnancy loss. Best of luck and thanks for reading!

   

• At Tue Jul 03, 11:15:00 AM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Hi, my wife has been worried for some time that her parents, brother and sister are all O+ blood, whilst she is A rhesus neg.
  Is this possible.
  Many thanks.

   

• At Tue Jul 03, 03:14:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous July 3: Check out the third paragraph in my post above. If what you are telling me is accurate, and BOTH her parents are O type, then one or both is/are not her parent(s) in the biological sense. (Rh is irrelevant in this situation. They could both be Rh-positive and, i they were both heterozygous, produce an Rh-negative child). I think your wife should sit and talk with a local doctor (perhaps a hematologist) and her parents and work this out. Be careful what you say to her without the laboratory data in hand to back up your story. Thanks for reading and I wish you all luck.

   

• At Sat Jul 07, 06:38:00 AM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Hello-
  I am A- and my husband is A+. I have had three pregnancies and received RhoGam at 28 weeks and postpartum with all. I am pregnant with my fourth child now. At my initial blood work (at 16 weeks), the Rh titer was negative. Then at 28 weeks, in preparation for the RhoGam shot, I had my blood drawn and I have an Rh titer of 1:4. So, I can't get the RhoGam and I've been referred to a perinatologist for evaluation. I've never heard that a mother can become sensitized during a pregnancy (without any known trauma to the placenta). How often does this occur? Why aren't Rh negative women given RhoGam earlier in pregnancy, if this can happen?

   

• At Mon Jul 09, 11:19:00 AM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous July 7: Yes, you can become isoimmunized during pregnancy, but this occurs in only 1-2% of pregnancies when Rh-immune globulin is not given and most of the time this doesn't happen until the third trimester. That's why 28 weeks was chosen as the time to give the Rhogam. You have a low titer at this time and this late in the pregnancy with a titer this low, it is unlikely the baby will develop severe anemia. However, all bets are off for subsequent pregnancies. We can now screen women at risk by simple Doppler flow measurements (the peak systolic velocity) in the baby's middle cerebral artery by ultrasound. This saves us (and you) from having to do serial invasive (amniocentesis) procedures. I am sure the MFM doc will discuss this with you. Good luck and hope things turn out fine! Thanks for reading and for the great question.

   

• At Mon Jul 09, 01:15:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Hi, I am Rh Negative and my sister is Rh Positive can this be right?
  I have read all of the comments but still do not competely understand.

   

• At Fri Jul 13, 01:56:00 AM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  My blood type is A- , at 17 I became pregnant and had a healthy happy baby. No one explained the posibility of complications for future pregnancies. Now 25,I just became pregnant again, (unexpectantly, but happily recieved)and I've been reading about Rh negative pregnancies. I have no idea if I was given a shot after my first child or not. What happens now if I wasn't given the shot? If I wasn't, is my pregnancy at high risk? And if I was given the shot does that mean the baby and I are safe?
  Thanks
  Krystal

   

• At Fri Jul 13, 07:08:00 AM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous July 9: If your parents are the same, yes it is possible and it simply means that both of your parents are 'heterozygous' for the D gene. That means they each have one chromosome that carries D and one that does not. When they make babies, each parent only contributes one of those chromosomes so, they can produce Rh (D)-positive children who have either two D chromosomes or Rh (D)- positive children like themselves that have one D-positive and one D-negative chromosome (remember, it takes only one dose of D to make you D 'positive'), or children that contain two D-negative chromosomes (like your sister must). That's what makes her Rh-negative. Make a four square table and put a positive and a negative (representing one parent)above the top two squares and another positive and negative (representing the other parent)to the left of the side squares and you can see for yourself what I am talking about. Hope this helps!

   

• At Fri Jul 13, 03:53:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous July 13: At your ae it would have been VERY unusual not to have gotten the Rh-immune globulin shot after delivery unless of course your baby's blood type is also Rh-negative. Even if you needed the shot, and failed to get it,. only a small percentage of women will actualy become sensitized. Don't fret over this right now. As part of the routine blood work your doctor will do for the pregnancy, a blood type and antibody screen will be performed to look for ANY abnormal blood type antibodies you might have developed over time. Odds are things will be fine. Let me know if they're not! Thanks for reading and for a good question.

   

• At Fri Jul 20, 06:32:00 AM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Hi,
  
  I am O+ and my wife is O-. We have been trying to get pregnant for about 7 months. She is worried that becuase I am Rh+ and she is Rh-, this "incompatibility" may be the reason why. I am not convinced it the case, as I had a daugther with an Rh- lady in my previous marriage. But I will need confirmation from you that I am right. Thanks!

   

• At Fri Jul 20, 11:14:00 AM 2007,  sri said…

  Hi.My blood group is O+ and my husband blood group is B+ and my sons blood group is also O+.I did not get any shot after my first delivery and my son is healthy child.And now iam second time 8th month pregnent.And even now doctors did not give me any shot and did not tell me anything about it.So is it ok or any problem for me or for my 2nd child.please give reply to my question.
  Thanks very much.
  sri

   

• At Fri Jul 20, 02:47:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous July 20 0632: It is doubtful the Rh incompatibility is contributing at all to her 'infertility'. Tell her I think you are correct and that you two might want to find a specialist in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility to figure out why she isn't getting pregnant. Thanks for reading!

   

• At Fri Jul 20, 02:48:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous July 20 1114: You do NOT need the shot since you are BOTH Rh-positive. Thanks for reading!

   

• At Wed Jul 25, 07:55:00 PM 2007,  Amy said…

  Hello. I was hoping you could expand on the likelihood of complications from a second sensitized pregnancy. I found out during my third pregnancy that I had the antibodies & my son was born at 37 weeks with severe jaundice, receiving a blood transfusion 5 days after he was born. He was sent home after 8 days in the hospital with no apparent damage. The information available on Rh disease at the time was minimal. So now, my concern is that I am remarried and would like to have another child (he has none), but realistically, what are the risks statistically speaking? I do not want to make a decision like this blindly.

   

• At Fri Jul 27, 05:14:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  Amy: The risks depend on many factors - your antibody titer, your partners blood type, and the blood type of the baby the two of you conceive. Because you had one affected baby, if you have another Rh-positive baby, that baby has a greater risk of being affected as well, and perhaps even earlier in the pregnancy. I would suggest you find a local specialist in Maternal-Fetal Medicine and review your concerns in 'preconceptional counseling.' Thanks for the question and good luck!

   

• At Sat Jul 28, 03:57:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Hi, I am currently 24 weeks pregnant, and I have a B- blood type. I am not sure what my partner is, but my ob was informing me about me having to receive some type of shot b/c my bsbys blood type is unknown. I have had a previous abortion, and was not given any type of shot. What steps should I take to ensure a healthy pregnancy? Also what complications do I still face if I do receive the required shot at 28 weeks and also at delivery? Thanks

   

• At Mon Jul 30, 10:22:00 AM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous July 28: If your partner is Rh-negative and you are sure he is the baby's father, then you do not need the shot. Otherwise, getting the shot now and again after delivery (if the baby turns out to be Rh-positive) protects more than 99% of women from getting sensitized to Rh.

   

• At Mon Jul 30, 04:05:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  I am A- and my husband is A+. I just delivered a healthy baby boy 2 weeks ago. When they tested his blood to see what type he was, it came back O+. I asked the nurse if it was possible since I was A- and my husband was A+. She asked if he was the father! He is the father - no doubt about that. After I told my husband this, he is acting like he is questioning the same thing. Please explain to me how it is perfectly possible for this to be in a way that he will have his mind at ease. Thanks much.

   

• At Mon Jul 30, 04:53:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous July 30: Yes it is very possible (and the nurse was quite inappropriate in her comments to you.) See my responses to patients on May 17 and May 28, 2007. The same principles apply to major blood group antigens (A,B, and O) as to Rh antigens. Your baby could be O+ if you and your husband are both heterozygous (have only one chromosome dose) for the A antigen. If you are AO and your husband is AO, you will both phenotypically be "A". But you could have children who are homozygous AA or OO, or children that are also heterozygous AO. Your son inherited one dose of O from you and one from your husband. He also got one dose of D from your husband and that is why he is Rh-positive. Don't sweat it and tell the nurse she needs to keep her mouth shut if she doesn't know what she's talking about! Thanks for reading and have your husband send me a note if he still doesn't understand! It gives me great pleasure to save marriages on occasion! Dr T

   

• At Tue Jul 31, 02:14:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Thank you Dr. T! You explained it beautifully. Put marriage counselor on your resume as well!

   

• At Tue Jul 31, 05:14:00 PM 2007,  aaasfh said…

  Hi. My mother is O+ and dad was B+ , I am B+.I'm 6 weeks pregnant, and my husband is B+ too. Do you think it would lead to any problems to the child or me? I'm not sure but somebody told me that it would since we both have same blood type.Thanks in advance.

   

• At Thu Aug 02, 11:18:00 AM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous July 31 0214: Glad to have helped out! Dr T

   

• At Thu Aug 02, 11:20:00 AM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous July 31 0514: There may be a slightly higher miscarriage rate among couples with the same blood types, but it is NOT usually a problem. Hope things go well with the pregnancy and thanks for your comment! Dr T

   

• At Thu Aug 02, 04:03:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  I want some explanation on a (medical level) for this case:
  
  a patient had an abortion at the 5th week and she is RH negative ,Anti D was not given since she started threatend abortion, should she recieve Anti D or she does not need it as the abortion was at the 5th week pregnancy?knowing that her IAT is negative
  
  another Question: If for the previous case the IAT showed to be positive, what should I do??

   

• At Thu Aug 02, 04:27:00 PM 2007,  Mostafa said…

  I want some explanation on a (medical level) for this case:
  
  a patient had an abortion at the 5th week of pregnancy and she is RH negative ,Anti D was not given since she started threatend abortion(2 weeks ago), should she recieve Anti D or she does not need it as the abortion was at the 5th week pregnancy?knowing that her IAT is negative
  
  another Question: If for the previous case the IAT showed to be positive, what should I do??

   

• At Fri Aug 03, 05:51:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Mostafa: If you are using a IAT (indirect antiglobulin test) that detects anti-Rh antibodies (anti-D), and the patient screens negative (i.e, she doesn't have any Rh antibodies), most providers in the U.S. would administer Rh-immune globulin rather than taking the small risk that she would become sensitized by such a pregnancy. If she is ALREADY positive for these antibodies, then she is already sensitized and does NOT need Rh-immune globulin. It wouldn't do any harm under those circumstances, but it also wouldn't be helping her any either, so it would be an unnecessary expense. Does that answer your question? Dr T

   

• At Sat Aug 04, 02:59:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Hi. My wife has O+ blood type and I am O-. We already had a year and half healthy daughter. My wife did not get any shots for her first pregnancy and she is now in her 27 weeks second pregnancy. Does my wife need to get a shot and what risk could happen if she did not?
  Thank you so much.

   

• At Thu Aug 09, 04:06:00 PM 2007,  Mostafa said…

  I am Mostafa
  Thanks alot Dr.T for your time

   

• At Fri Aug 10, 09:47:00 AM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  My Blood Group and my wife's blood group is O-Positive. I would really want to have child of my own now. Is there any problem for our child.

   

• At Sat Aug 11, 06:25:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  hai, iam O positive and my husband is O negative. i was wondering if there are any porblems in conceiving? because we married for 2 years and iam facing problems in menstration for the past 2 years. last december i have D&C for prolonged bleeding. now also iam having prolonged bleeding. is this because of the blood types? pls answer to my question thanks

   

• At Sun Aug 12, 03:42:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous August 4: No your wife does not need Rh-immune globulin. She is Rh-positive. It is only given to Rh-negative women to protect them from developing antibodies to Rh. However, if YOU managed to get pregnant, you WOULD need the shot (assuming of course your wife is the mother of the baby!). ;) Dr T

   

• At Sun Aug 12, 03:43:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Mostafa August 9: You're welcome. Thanks for letting me know that you got my response! Dr T

   

• At Sun Aug 12, 03:48:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous August 10: Your child should not be at any increased risk because of your common blood types. The baby will be O, but his/her Rh status cannot be determined unless we know if you and your wife are heterozygous or homozygous for the D antigen...but don't worry about that! Thanks for reading and hope you have a bevy of little O's! Dr T

   

• At Mon Aug 13, 06:41:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Hello. I am A- and I had a healthy baby girl 9 years ago. About 8 years ago I had a RU-486 abortion and I can't remember if I had the RH shot. Today I am 20 weeks pregnant and cheduled for the shot at 28 weeks but am concerned for the baby since I don't know if I had shot 8 years ago. Will I be protected if I get shot at 28 weeks or should I have had a shot sooner?

   

• At Tue Aug 14, 06:53:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous Aug 12: Your difficulty conceiving has nothing to do with your different blood types. It sounds like you are ovulating irregularly or not at all. Your OB/GYN doctor or an infertility specialist can help with the proper evaluation and treatment of that and help you to ovulate on schedule so that you have a better chance of getting pregnant. Good luck! Dr T

   

• At Tue Aug 14, 06:58:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous Aug 13: You were probably not sensitized by the earlier termination or your doctors would know by now. We always do an "antibody screen" as part of the New OB labs done early in pregnancy and if that was negative, you did not have Rh-antibodies at that time. If you are worried, you can ask your doctors to check again before they give you the Rh-immune globulin at 28 weeks. Everything will probably turn out just fine! Best wishes. Dr T

   

• At Sat Aug 25, 06:50:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Hi there
  
  I am O+ and my husband is A+, will we be able to have healthy children? Also, if I do get pregnant, will i miscarry? Because I read somewhere that O+ positive mums its really hard for them to get pregnant by A+ dads. Help me! I am so confused because I am getting mixed signals from everwhere!

   

• At Sun Aug 26, 06:53:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  I was given the Rh immunoglobulin shot at just 6 weeks pregnant. They did not test my husband for his blood type. I have since learnt that it's the usual practise to test the fathers blood and give the shot at 28 weeks?
  Will the fact that they gave me the shot at 6 weeks cause any problems?
  Also, I have a 1 in 176 chance of having a down syndrome child due to my blood work - could this RH shot have affected the outcome?

   

• At Mon Aug 27, 06:02:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous Aug 26: In the U.S., it is not 'standard of care' to actually check blood type of the baby's father before giving Rh-immune globulin to Rh-negative women unless there is a good reason to know. We will frequently ask if the blood type is known, but if there is ANY question at all regarding paternity, it is safer to give the shot than risk becoming sensitized to Rh. Giving the shot at 6 weeks with a miscarriage will not cause problems with a subsequent pregnancy and it is NOT the reason your blood work has put you at increased risk for having a baby with Down syndrome. Thanks for reading and good luck with your pregnancy! Dr T

   

• At Mon Aug 27, 06:09:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous Aug 25: The difference in your blood types should not significantly increase your risk for infertility or miscarriages. RELAX and go get pregnant! Thanks for reading! Dr T

   

• At Tue Aug 28, 09:28:00 AM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  hello, I am very confused, i have been reading all the posts but am still not sure about my question. My husband and i were pregnantbut at 10 weeks we miscarried, can this have anything to do with our blood types.Or is it gonna be any more difficult for us to become pregnant? He is O- and I am O+ are we gonna have trouble getting and staying pregnant as this last pregnancy, the fetus did not grow and fetal parts. Please help!!!

   

• At Tue Aug 28, 06:05:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous Aug 28: I am sorry you miscarried, but it is very unlikely that your blood types had anything to do with it or that they are going to prevent you from having a baby. And, since you are Rh-positive, you will not need the Rh-immune globulin shot during your pregnancy. Keep your chin up, and try again! Good luck to both of you. Dr T

   

• At Sun Sep 02, 06:08:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  I was recently pregnant and miscarried at 6 weeks. Since I am RH negative, I was given a shot of Rhogam and was told that it would last in my system for three months. I am pregnant again (5 weeks) and know that the Rhogam is no longer in my system. Will I need another shot ASAP?

   

• At Mon Sep 03, 08:33:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Hello! I am A- and my husband is O+. Will we have problems conceiving or problems during the pregnancy because of our different blood types?

   

• At Tue Sep 04, 06:04:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous Sept 2: Your doctor will perform an antibody screen on you as part of the standard 'new OB' labs early in this new pregnancy. If there is no evidence of sensitization to Rh-antigen (odds are you were entirely protected from becoming sensitized by having gotten Rhogam with your miscarriage), then you will not get another shot of Rhogam until about 28 weeks, unless you have an indication such as bleeding, trauma, or an amniocentesis with this pregnancy before then. Best wishes this time around and thank you for reading! Dr T

   

• At Tue Sep 04, 06:13:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous Sept 3: Your different blood types should not increase difficulty conceiving. Because you are Rh-negative and your husband is Rh-positive, you are at a small risk of becoming 'sensitized' to the Rh-antigen during a pregnancy (if the baby is Rh-positive like your husband) or at the time of delivery. However, giving Rhogam (which contains anti-Rh antibody) during and after the pregnancy greatly reduces the chance of isoimmunization. I certainly wouldn't sweat the issue at this point! Go out (or stay in) and get pregnant and don't fret about this. Thanks for reading! Dr T

   

• At Tue Sep 11, 07:24:00 AM 2007,  beegley101 said…

  I have been typed by the Red Cross as a voluteer blood donor as O+. i am now 21 weeks pregnant and have been typed twice by my OB's office as the results are calling me O-. My OB says I'm probably 'weak D.' I'm worried about taking rhogam. What happens if an Rh-positive patient gets rhogam?

   

• At Wed Sep 12, 05:25:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To beegley101 Sept 11: If the Red Cross has typed you as O-positive, and your doctor's office laboratory has not, I would go with the Red Cross. They are about as good as one can get in the blood-typing arena! Your doctor is probably correct - you likely have the Du-variant of Rh, sometimes referred to as the 'weak' Rh D-antigen, and technically this makes you Rh-positive. Du-positive women cannot become sensitized to the D-antigen. Therefore, Du-positive women do NOT need Rh-immune globulin (Rhogam) during their pregnancies. If you got it inadvertantly, it would probably not cause any harm to the baby, but you just don't need it. But, your doctor needs to get this sorted out once and for all, even if he/she has to send you to a hematologist to do so, althoough usually it is simply a matter of notifying the laboratory that there has been a discrpeancy in blood-typing and they need to screen for the Du-variant. This was a great question that I have not addressed in any of my posts on this subject. Du is very common in Black women, so I am sure a lot of readers will be interested in my response to your question. Thanks for reading! Dr T

   

• At Sun Sep 16, 12:10:00 AM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Great information! I just miscarried and I want to know why. I am 0- and received a rhogam shot at 28 weeks with my 1st child. I did not receive a shot after delivery--I checked my records. Did this (not receiving a shot) contribute to my miscarriage?
  Wendy

   

• At Sun Sep 16, 09:47:00 PM 2007,  Prefering Anonymity said…

  My wife just delivered a baby girl 5 days ago who has elevated bilirubin levels with the cause thought to be ABO incompatibility. My wife is O-negative, I am A-positive and our daughter is A-positive/Combs-positive. My wife was not administered rhoGAM at any point during or after her pregnancy/delivery. Our pediatrician caught the jaundice fairly early and daughter is seems to be recovering, but I am also quite concerned with whether my wife and I can now safely have another child, as she did not receive rhoGAM. Is it possible for us to safely have another child and what would we need to do or screen for to do so? My thanks to you in advance.

   

• At Mon Sep 17, 07:33:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Wendy Sept 16: The routine would have been to give you Rhogam after you delivered UNLESS your baby happened to be Rh-negative as well. It is very unlikely that not getting the Rhogam after delivery caused you to miscarry your recent pregnancy. That doesn't even seem to be a problem with individuals who ARE clearly Rh-isoimmunized. It's dealing with those pregnancies after the first trimester that becomes the challenge! Regards, and thanks for your question. Dr T

   

• At Mon Sep 17, 07:52:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To preferring anonymity Sept 16: Your wife did not NEED Rhogam if your daughter was Rh-negative. ABO incompatibility is another issue. All people with O blood types make antibodies to A and B blood groups. They are exposed to those antigens in the environment (bacteria) and do not even need to be exposed to another human's blood to generate these antibodies. However, usually these antibodies are of the IgM class of antibodies. IgM antibodies are very large and basically contain a pentamer (5 antibodies) joined together. They are TOO BIG to cross the placenta to the baby. Occasionally, individuals also make anti-A or anti-B antibodies that are IgG class antibodies. These CAN cross the placenta and, indeed, IgG antibodies are a major source of 'immunity (passive immunity)' against common pathogens for the baby during the first 3-6 months of life. Unfortunately, the placenta doesn't differentiate between 'good' (protective) IgG antibodies and antibodies that might harm the baby. This is the same problem with Rh-isoimmunization when it occurs. The antibodies from the mother cross the placenta, attach to the fetal tissues that are foreign (in your baby's case blood group A red blood cells) and that signals the baby's immune system to destroy whatever the antibodies are attached to - at that point the baby's immune system cannot distinguish what uis 'foreign' and what is 'self'! With the destruction of the baby's own red cells, hemoglobin is released and its breakdown product, bilirubin, can cause jaundice and more serious problems if the bilirubin levels get high enough. When the baby has used up all the antibody it has gotten from Mom, it will not have anymore problems. To answer your other question, yes it is safe to have another baby under these circumstances. Often ABO incompatibility isn't much of a problem until after the baby is born, unlike with severe Rh-isoimmunization. Your doctors can assess the degree of fetal anemia in utero, indirectly, by doing peak systolic velocity of blood flow in the baby's middle cerebral artery by Doppler flow velocimetry if you are worried about fetal anemia during the pregnancy. Let them explain that to you! Best of luck, congratulations on your new baby, and thanks for reading and the great questions. Dr T

   

• At Mon Sep 17, 08:21:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  hello! great information thank you doctor. i am a neg adn my first child was o pos. he is now six and we haven't been able to have another chold. we have had three iuis with great timing and great eggs and lots of sperm. i have gotten pregnant every time and had a miscarriage all three times. lost the 1st at 6 weeks the 2nd at 7 weeks and the third at 4 weeks. i have been screened for everthing under the sun, but no one ever has given me the shot after any of the miscarriages. i read above that you said it doesn't cause early miscarriages but i feel liek that is what it is. i can't remember if they gave me the shot or not, after i had my boy who had jaudis and was very swollen when he was born by the way. but regardless since then i have had three miscarriages. i know for a fact i haven't received the shot after the 3 misca... ??? do you think as soon as the fetus develops blood cells my body attacks it and if so, does this mean if my huband is ++ that we wil NEVER be able to concieve?
  
  we ar egoing to adopt, but i still would love to have another one of my own too. thanks so much i am concerned...
  
  
  CAREY A neg
  
  p.s. i am a carrier of hemophilia A and my first son has it

   

• At Mon Sep 17, 10:25:00 PM 2007,  preferring anonymity said…

  My thanks for your highly detailed reply. You've provided a better explanation of the ABO hemolysis and hyperbilirubinemia that my newborn daughter has than the hematologist consult we had. As I’ve been experiencing first-hand how frightening the consequences of ABO incompatibility (let alone RhD incompatibility) are, you’re providing an important service in disseminating information which, unfortunately, isn’t common knowledge – but which really should be (preferably, before getting pregnant!). Thanks again.

   

• At Thu Sep 20, 01:57:00 PM 2007,  lotsofdecisions said…

  Hi. I became sensitized to Rh during my pregnancy with my daughter. My questions:
  
  1) does the fact that I was sensitized at my daughter's birth impact the problems I may have with a future pregnancy? I'm using donor sperm and know that the donor is O+ and heterozygous. How great is the risk? My titers are around 1:4.
  
  2) After 2 unsuccessful IVFs to avoid having a second O+ child, I am about to admit defeat re: giving my daughter a full sibling. My quesion: should I consider only O- donors. It seems like using an A- or B- donor could result in as great of issues as if I used my daughter's donor.
  
  3) How concerned should I be about CMV? I'm CMV negative. I've lived in the Northeast as well as the South. It seems like I'd have contracted CMV if I were suseptible to it.
  
  Sorry this is so long. Thanks in advance.

   

• At Mon Sep 24, 03:29:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Hi,I have a daughter who is
  O negative. I also have a son who is O positive.
  I am O positive and my wife is O negative. Is this possible?

   

• At Tue Sep 25, 08:00:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Carey Sept 17: Do you know why your son was "jaundiced and swollen" at birth. The answer to that quesion may explain why you have not been given Rh-immune globulin with your miscarriages. If he was jaundiced because you were ALREADY sensitized to Rh, then you do not need Rh-immune globulin. In fact, if that's the case, you have antibodies to Rh and you could be a Rhogam donor! The antibody to Rh helps prevent someone's own immune system from making there own antibody. Anyway, what you need to find out from your doctor is if you are already "sensitized." To do this they simply need to send an "antibody screen" to the lab. And, if you are NOT sensitized, then this could NOT be the cause of your miscarraiges, although you still need your doctor to explain to you why they haven't given you the shot under those circumstances! Thanks for reading and I hope this helps. Dr T

   

• At Tue Sep 25, 08:03:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To prefering anonymity Sept 17: Thank you for your kind response. I am glad I could help. I might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I have always felt like I am pretty good at explaining some fairly complicated things to folks in a way they can understand, and I thoroughly enjoy doing it. That's why I'm here! Dr T

   

• At Tue Sep 25, 08:26:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To lots of decisions Sept 20: 1) Yes, your Rh-isoimmunization could have an impact on a future pregnancy. See the posts I wrote following this one addressing that specific topic. If your donor is heterozygous for Rh-positivity, there is a 50% chance your babies from that donor will be Rh-positive and potentially at risk. You are currently at relatively low rsk for complications with a titer of only 1:4. The risk begins to rise dramatically once your titer exceeds 1:16. During a pregnancy, I would recommend you have your titer checked every 4-6 weeks, especially if it begins to rise. In fact, if it does rise during a pregnancy, that probably indicates the baby is Rh-positive. We can currently assess risk for fetal anemia by a noninvasive study called Doppler flow velocimetry of the peak systolic velocity in the baby's middle cerebral artery. It's not as hard to do as it is to pronounce! 2) If you are using an Rh-positive donor, you cannot be sure that the baby is not Rh-positive until you test fetal cells by some sort of invasive procedure. You would be better starting off with an Rh-negative donor because then the baby CANNOT be Rh-positive. It does not matter whether that donor is A-, B-, O-, or AB-. The problem is with Rh, not the major blood group antigens. 3) CMV negativity is a BIG concern to me in your situation. (Check out a couple of my earlier blogs on that subject as well). You may be at risk for contracting that from your donor or you could simply contract it from someone else, especially your daughter, who is VERY likely to pick it up if she spends time around other kids. It is spread by all kinds of body fluids and it is unlikely you are resistant to catching it, you probably have just been UNLUCKY enough not to have been exposed to it earlier in your life. I say unlucky, because if you did happen to catch it during a pregnancy, the results could be quite devastating to the baby. I hope you don't mind, but I am going to copy your questions and my responses to a general post on this subject because I think a lot of other readers might be interested in the answers! Thanks for reading and the great questions and BEST of luck to you too! Dr T

   

• At Tue Sep 25, 08:32:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Sept 24: Yes, it simply means that you are heterozygous for Rh D antigen. That means you have one chromosome that carries the gene for D and one that does not. (Your wife has two that do not because she is Rh-negative). Odds are that half of your kids would be expected to be Rh-positive and half Rh-negative based on percentages alone (and no other extenuating circumstances). Sounds like that's what's happened so far in your family. Hope that helps. Thanks for reading! Dr T

   

• At Wed Sep 26, 12:38:00 PM 2007,  lotsofdecisions said…

  Thank you, Dr. Troffater.
  
  My question re: whether I should consider only O- donors (vs. A-, B- and AB-) is not related to the Rh issue but to ABO incompatibility. I'm over 40 and the reality is I need to get pregnant pretty quickly if it's going to happen. I've read about Combs and ABO incompatility, which I believe is a concern given I'm O-. Given my track record, I'm likely to be in the 10% group whose A and B antigens cross the placenta if I use an A- or B- donor. My question: Will I have a greater chance of success and complications by choosing someone who is my same blood type?
  
  I'm happy if my issue can help others, so please do post my question.

   

• At Fri Sep 28, 11:43:00 AM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To lotsofdecisions: Hi again. I do not think the ABO issue should impair your fertility. It does increase the risk of having a baby with transient jaundice after birth, but I believe that would consider that to be a blessing just having gotten to that point anyway! You have had great questions1 Thank you so much and I really wish you the best. Dr T

   

• At Sun Sep 30, 03:17:00 AM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Hi there. I m just wnting to know if my mum is AB- and I am AB+ my father would have to be a positive wouldn't he? And if my father is a negative blood type also is it at all possible that I would be a positive?

   

• At Wed Oct 03, 06:00:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous Sept 30: If you are Rh-positive, then one of your parents HAS to be Rh-positive. So if your mum is Rh-negative, and you are Rh-positive, I certainly hope the man you call "daddy" is Rh-positive too so that things don't become sticky! Thanks for reading! Dr T

   

• At Sun Oct 07, 06:51:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  My doctor just told me I must have been switched at birth because I am O Rh negative and both of my parents are O positive. I am the youngest of 5 children. I just read your answers to questions similar to mine but HELP because I am lost in understanding this.
  Thanks, natwil

   

• At Thu Oct 11, 05:51:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Natwil Oct 7: Your doctor needs to go back to medical school and get a refresher course on basic genetics! Yes it IS possible for you to be Rh-negative, even if BOTH your parents are Rh-positive. Assuming they ARE your parents, they must both be HETEROZYGOTES (each having one Rh-positive and one Rh-negative gene). Under those circumstances, they would have a 1/4 chance of having an Rh-negative baby (two Rh-negative genes) like YOU, and a 3/4 chance of having an Rh-positive baby (1/4 chance of having a baby that had two Rh-positive genes and a 2/4 chance of having a baby with one Rh-positive and one Rh-negative gene -just like them). Rh-positive acts as a DOMINANT gene and only one dose of it needs to be expresssed for them to be 'Rh-positive' like your parents. Please pass this along to your doctor and I hope he/she was only kidding with you! Thanks for reading and stop worrying about who your parents are! Dr T

   

• At Tue Oct 16, 10:14:00 PM 2007,  Jojy said…

  Hi. I have been recently married with my 3rd cousin. I'm having O - neg and she is A- pos. Would there be any problems in conceiving a child.
  
  
  Thanks
  Joe Alex

   

• At Fri Oct 19, 06:40:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  what would happen if both parents are rh positive and was given the shot? or if both were neg? Thanks

   

• At Fri Oct 19, 08:04:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Joe Alex Oct 16: Your blood types should not increase your risks. All of your children will be Rh-negative. Dr T

   

• At Mon Oct 22, 02:57:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous Oct 19 0640 PM: If both parents were Rh-positive, the shot is not necessary (but shouldn't cause any problems if given by mistake) and the same is true if both parents are Rh-negative. In the latter case, the baby could NOT be Rh-positive.
  Dr T

   

• At Wed Nov 07, 09:24:00 AM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Okay so do you have a higher risk of having problems during pregnancy (or after) if you are 0 negative? I just found out that I am Rh- and my husband is A+. I just want to be reassured that helth defects cannot be caused by this if I get the right shots. Even miscariages. Scary to think about!

   

• At Thu Nov 08, 10:31:00 AM 2007,  mary said…

  i am rh negative , i recieved all shots to protect me in all the 4 pregnancies but i am worried about this 5 th baby.what are the chances of this baby being protected.

   

• At Mon Nov 12, 06:06:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous Nov 7: You are at highest risk whenever you are exposed to your baby's blood. That occurs most commonly in third trimester (e.g., as spontaneous fetal- maternal hemorrhage or as a consequence of trauma or placental abruption) or at the time of delivery, vaginal or cesarean. That's why we usually give Rh-immunue globulin any time you have bleeding during a pregnancy or simply prophylactically at about 28 weeks and again following delivery. It is best given within the first 48-72 hours after delivery. If you develop Rh-antibodies, it will not cause any problems for you, nor am I aware of any evidence that they increase your risk for early miscarriages. They will only potentially cause problems for an Rh-positive baby. Thanks for reading. Dr T

   

• At Mon Nov 12, 06:12:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Mary Nov 8: Your doctor will do an 'antibody screen' on you early in pregnancy. If that is 'negative' then you do not have Rh-antibodies. If your partner is Rh-positive, you will probably have another antibody screen done at about 28 weeks and receive Rh-immune globulin at that time to help protect you from becoming 'sensitized' before delivery. Nothing is 100% but the 'shots' work very well. And, if for some reason you do become 'sensitized' during your pregnancy, it is unusual for a baby to get into serious trouble during the prgnancy in which you do develop Rh-antibodies. It's the ones after that that are at greatest risk. So, stop worrying for now and thanks for reading. Dr T

   

• At Tue Nov 13, 07:02:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  My blodd type is A- and my husband is O+. I had an MVA abortion at 5-6 weeks several years ago and I'm not sure if they gave me the shot afterwards. I live in Canada, do you know if it's standard procedure in clinics in NA to check women's blood type and supply the shots if needed?
  
  I am about 4 weeks pregnant now, how soon should I get tested for anti-RH antibodies? What are the risks of waiting until my doctor's appointments in a couple of weeks?

   

• At Wed Nov 14, 06:20:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous Nov 13: Most providers in the U.S. and Canada will do an antibody screen on you at the time of your intake OB visit. There is no need to have it done any sooner than that. Even if you are 'sensitized' (and hopefully you are not), that usually doesn't affect the early stages of pregnancy. The antibody screen is usually rechecked at about 28 weeks - before you are given the Rh-immune globulin. Best of luck to you.

   

• At Fri Nov 23, 09:56:00 AM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  Hello. I am 28 weeks pregnant with my fourth child. My blood type is A-, and I'm not sure of the father's. I lost my health insurance about 4 months ago and haven't had the money to see a doctor. I can't afford to get the shot, and my health insurance from my current employer will not start for another 2 months.My question is will it be too late to get it then, and if i don't get the shot before i deliver what are the chances that my baby or future pregnancies will be at risk for complications assuming the current baby has a positive blood type? Thank you.

   

• At Thu Nov 29, 04:49:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous Nov 23: Why take any chances? If you live in the U.S., your local health department can tell you where you can get OB care, tell you if you are eligible for Medicaid and help you to get enrolled. They may even provide care; or refer you to a university program with a residency or even a 'free clinic'. You can always switch to a private physician once you get your insurance, although many will not take you that late in a pregnancy without some care first elsewhere.

   

• At Tue Dec 04, 01:43:00 PM 2007,  teri said…

  i was 2 months along when i found out that i was pregnant. and i was in the er after my body rejected my baby. they informed that i have negative blood. they gave me a shot that sounded like rogain and told me it would prvent antibodies from attacking my baby in my next prgnancy. is that what the shot is for? will it affect me if my future babys father is negative also?

   

• At Thu Dec 06, 05:49:00 PM 2007,  HAYAT said…

  hi.im 31 weeks pregnant, today i had the rhogam shot im o-negatif, i didnt knew what is it?i did search on the net and i find out that i should have it at 28 weeks? im so worried is it too late ofr this shot?
  they did take my blood before giving me the shot, they said for antibody secrening.? she did give me the shot after taking my blood that mean i didnt develop the antibodies contre the R- ? ? ?
  im so confused and so sad can you please explain to me and tell me if my baby is at risk? and why they didnt give me the shot at 28 weeks im sorry for my english if i made mistakes
  my names is HAYAT
  THANK YOU

   

• At Fri Dec 14, 12:50:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Teri Dec 4: Sorry about your miscarriage. You received Rhogam which is Rh-immune globulin that contains antibodies to Rh-positive blood. That helps your body destro those foreign red blood cells and helps prevent you from developing antibodies of your own. If the baby's father is Rh-negative, you did not need the Rhogam, but it will not hurt that you got it either, now or with future pregnancies. Thanks for your question! Dr T

   

• At Fri Dec 14, 12:55:00 PM 2007,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Hayat Dec 6: If you had not developed any antibodies before you got the shot, then you can stop worrying. The shot will help protect you from becoming sensitized during the rest of your pregnancy. The shot does not have to be given right at 28 weeks! Some folks give it a little earlier, and some a little later. The important thing is that you did get it in time. You should be fine! Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy and let us know how things turn out! Dr T

   

• At Fri Dec 28, 01:14:00 PM 2007,  Anonymous said…

  If both my parents are A- blood types, and I am A+, is that possible? Thanks

   

• At Sat Jan 05, 12:04:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Anonymous Dec 28: It is highly unlikely, but I would suggest a long chat with your Mom before you draw any regrettable conclusions.
  Dr T

   

• At Mon Jan 07, 07:47:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I am 33 years old and my husband and I are actively trying to conceive. Both my husband and I have been cleared of any complications by our fertility doctor. My concern is that I am B neg and I was recently informed that in the event of a pregnancy, that I would need to get an antibody given to me. This does not concern me, but what does is that when I was 15, I had an abortion at 16 weeks and was not given the antibody and I do not know if the father was Rh neg or Pos. Neither do I know if the baby was Rh neg or Pos. I am now worried that my future pregnancies could be effected. How do I find out if I am sensitized?

   

• At Tue Jan 08, 01:44:00 AM 2008,  ditchdoc26 said…

  I have A+ blood and my husband has B+ blood but our 9 year old daughter has AB-. How is this? My grandfather was B-. Could the negative alleal have come from him by recession?

   

• At Thu Jan 10, 06:55:00 PM 2008,  Amy & Damon said…

  I am a 26 year old and I developed antibodies in my first pregnancy. The baby had to be induced but was full term. She had phototherapy for 5 days before being discharged.
  
  My second child was monitored using the Doppler flow every 2 weeks. Then had his first fetal transfusion at 23 weeks and had to have one every 3 weeks. He was induced at 36 weeks weighing 3.35kg so in total he had 4 fetal transfusions. After he was born he had phototherapy for 5 days. Then needed another transfusion, at 2 weeks of age.
  Now is 7 half months old and very healthy, normal and happy boy.
  
  Now I am pregnant with my 3rd child (not planned but we are both happy) and scared what's going to happen? As I understand with each pregnancy it gets worse!
  I do have an appointment with a specialist in Maternal-Fetal Medicine in a few days but would love to know your opinion.
  
  Yours sincerely
  Amy
  
  P.S I have no complaints about the Doppler method. Their was a very close call at 23 weeks as the doctors didn’t think the levels would rise so fast, but it all worked out I am just very greatful, we have such great technology and doctors!
  I Am very sad to hear bout your baby passing away its heart breaking and my biggest fear.

   

• At Fri Jan 11, 05:33:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Jan 7: To find out if you were 'sensitized' simply ask your doctor to perform a blood type and antibody screen. If the antibody screen is negative at this time you are probably in good shape, but you will be rescreened early in a pregnancy as part of the routine new OB labs. Odds are you are just fine. Good luck to you and thanks for reading. Dr T

   

• At Fri Jan 11, 05:40:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To ditchdoc26 Jan 8: If your husband is indeed the baby's father, that simply means that both of you are heterozygous for the D allele - in other words, you each have one D gene and one gene without D. That means when you have children, 1/4 will be D/D (Rh-positive; homozygous), 2/4 will be D/-; also Rh-positive but heterozygous like you and your husband - remember the D gene is expressed dominantly, two doses are not required), and 1/4 will be -/- (Rh-negative; you must have BOTH negatives to be Rh-negative). Hope that helps. Thanks for reading! Dr T

   

• At Fri Jan 11, 05:44:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Amy and Damon: Actually, it usually doesn't get much worse than it did the last time. The MFM doctor will probably recommend at the least starting the Doppler studies even earlier and they may recommend serial cord blood sampling, prepared to move directly to transfusion each time, because outcomes are a little less predictable in women who are seensitized and have had severly affected babies previously. Good luck to you and please let us know how things turn out. Regards. Dr T

   

• At Sun Feb 10, 10:14:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Hello,
  I have always had doubts of my dad being my biological father. He is O negative and I am B positive. I was always lead to believe that the childs blood type was the same as the father Is this true?
  Sincerely seeking the truth.
  
  Trish

   

• At Tue Feb 12, 09:49:00 AM 2008,  Donna said…

  I am a step-mother to a child I just learned about and we are not sure she is actually my husbands. The child had a dna test ran and is a+ with a c antibody. My husband is a- and the mother is o+. Is it possible for a child to take on one of the parents blood type but the other ones rh factor? When the courts did a dna test on my husband to match them they came back 99% but so did another man. What is the probability that the little girl is not my husbands but the other mans? Do the men then have to be related?

   

• At Thu Feb 14, 08:35:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Trish Sun Feb 10: Nope it's not true. Both your parents contribute to your blood type. In your case though, if your 'father' is O-negative, your mother must be B-positive and if she is not, then you need to have a long chat with her... Good luck. Dr T

   

• At Fri Feb 22, 06:13:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Donna Feb 12: Yes, if the blood types are as you indicated, your stepchild could certainly be A+. With regard to the other question, I must admit I have never heard of that happening before! There is only a 1% chance that either man is not the father of the child! Are the two men brothers or identical twins? If more detailed studies are done to sort out the paternity, please let me know the results. Thanks for writing. Dr T

   

• At Wed Feb 27, 03:10:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I am Rh Negative and developed antibodies after my first child even though I had recieved the shot. My secound boy was Rh Negative also so he was compatible with me no problems then I had a beautiful little girl and her blood type turned out to be positive she was born perfect but during the night developed awful probelms tryed giving her exchange transfusion had to stop and she was put on a ventilator, She was then transfered to another hospital and basically she lived for three months and died from a disease called Kernicterus which is all connected with this problem. Had she been giving transfusions during the pregnancy things might have been a lot different. My next son was giving transfusions during my pregnancy and he was fine and my next daughter turned out to be Negative thank god so in all I have had 5 pregnancies in which I lost the secound third baby. IHad I been giving the proper care i know it would never have happened. We were recently thinking of having another baby and know the risk is higher for each subsequent pregnany so I just wondering does anyone know if it would be save.

   

• At Fri Feb 29, 05:13:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anaonymous Feb 27: Well, since the two of you are able to make some Rh-negative babies, if the next one is Rh-negative, there should be no problems at all! It is true you may be at increased risk with each pregnancy, but that is alos not necessarily the case and evn though you have had some complicated pregnancies along the way, your doctors have gotten you through. There is a very good chance you can relatively 'safely' have another baby, it just depends on what risk you are willing to take and what you are willing to go through! Good luck and if you decide to get pregnant again, let us know how things turn out. Dr T

   

• At Thu Mar 13, 04:16:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  To Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr
  
  Hi I contacted you regarding a new pregnancy in January Just to jog your memory im rhesus negative and was sensitized during my first pregnancy now she is nearly 6 years old she was delivered full term and stayed under photo therapy for a week then was fine.
  My second baby now 9 months had 4 fetal transfusions starting at 23 weeks was induced at 36 weeks had photo therapy for 5 days and had a transfusion at 2 weeks. Now is a happy healthy baby boy!
  My last pregnancy has ended in miscarriage at 11 weeks the baby had stopped growing at 6 weeks obviously nothing to do with the rhesus factor.
  The plan the doctors had with this pregnancy was at 16 weeks or possibly earlier to have a intraperitoneal transfusion. Very closely followed up with Doppler's and subsequent transfusions, they also discussed the possibilities of use of immunoglobulins or plasmaphoresis, both of which are considered experimental. My titre levels where as followed anti D 1:2,048, anti C 1:256 and weak titres of S.
  I am devastated of course at the recent miscarriage and doctors have advised me not to have any more children and if I do to wait 3 or 4 years till my titre levels have gone down. I would love to know your opinion would waiting really make much difference? would really like 1 more baby and would like to know someone else's opinion on the risks.
  Many thanks
  Amy and Damon

   

• At Sun Mar 16, 06:35:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Amy and Damon: Those are high titers, and not just against one Rh antigen! You probably would be in-line for some form of 'experimental' approach to treatment and the plasmapheresis and the IVIG may be a sensible combination. Even if you "wait a few years", your titers at-=re unlikely to go down much and if you conceive another baby with those Rh antigens, they will quickly bounce back to tjose levels, if not higher. That is called an anamnestic response. An alternative is that you find a 'donor' who is Rh-negative and undergo in vitro fertilization. Otherwise, it's take your best shot and be prepared for a complicated pregnancy! Best wishes and thanks for getting back to us. Dr T

   

• At Mon Mar 17, 11:27:00 PM 2008,  Chandan said…

  Hello Sir
  I m the only son of my parents my father is O+ and my mother is A+ and my blood group is A+ Im going to marry a girl who is also A+ does it will effect my next generation as i have heard that same blood group should not marry and their generation will suffer from blood cancer or from cickle cell does it is correct and kindly suggest what to do at the earliest.

   

• At Wed Mar 19, 06:47:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Chandan: There should be no problem with marrying someone of the same blood type, so have a good marriage! Dr T

   

• At Mon Mar 24, 07:27:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Hi Doc, I have been informed that I could be the Dad of a 14 yr boy. All I know so far is that I am A+ and she tells me he is rh- . I can't make heads or tails out this Blood Type, and or types between biological parents. Could you ELABORATE? His mother is a cancer patient and I don't know what her Blood Type is. She only ask me if I was RH-. Seems the child had to have Blood some time ago. Signed Big Daddy !!!

   

• At Wed Mar 26, 07:48:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Big Daddy: Even if you are A+, you may still be, or may not be, the child's father. There are proper procedures to find out for sure that vary by state laws. Have the child's mother ask her doctor to check with the hematology lab. They will require blood from all three of you but should be able to accurately answer the question. Dr T

   

• At Thu Apr 03, 12:06:00 PM 2008,  Silentsong said…

  Hello :) Thank you for all of your answers on this topic. It's a good read and a good resource. In fact, we recommended the article to a friend of ours who is O- and considering having a baby. We are currently ttc(trying to conceive) and were wondering if we should be concerned at all about our compatibility for child bearing. I am A+ and he is A-. He heard somewhere that we would have difficulty because we're both A's and I'd heard we might have difficulties because of our opposing Rh. How much of any of that is accurate?
  
  Thanks so much for your time and reply,
  Trina and Brad

   

• At Thu Apr 03, 04:23:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Trina and Brad: Your blood types should not be an obstacle to either conceiving or carrying a pregnancy! So, good luck to you both. Dr T

   

• At Mon Apr 07, 10:32:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Hello - I am 30 years old, currently 15 weeks pregnant and have O negative blood. I had an ultrascreen a few weeks ago that came back normal (1/450 for DS) but this result is higher than my age related risk. The physical tests came back "ideal" but my blood tests came back "less than ideal" becasue I had very high hcG levels. I read that people with Rh negative blood can have higher hcG levels - is this true? Would it skew the results of my ultrascreen? While I came back with a "normal" result, I'm still worried.

   

• At Mon Apr 07, 05:32:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Apr 7: Several readers have asked me about blood type and its affects on maternal serum markers. As far as I am aware, there is no significant affect, however, if someone out there has information on this topic, I would certainly appreciate it. At this time no 'correction factor' is performed for blood type in the first trimester screening analysis. Incidentally, your risk result is fairly similar to your 'age alone' result for first trimester. My usual suggestion under these circumstnaces is that you simply have a 'genetic sonogram' done at 18-20 weeks. If that is completely 'normal' then your a priori risk (based on the ultrascreen) is reduced somewhere in the range of 60-80%! In your case that would make the risk less than 1 in 1000! Best of luck and let us know how things turn out. Dr T

   

• At Wed Apr 16, 10:41:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Hi! I'll try to make this as brief and concise as possible. I am O- and my husband is A+. Three years ago when we decided to start a family I was pregnant within 4 months. I had a small amount of bleeding about 7/8 wks into the pregnancy but my doctor at the time said it was "normal" and sent me home (he knew our bloodtypes). When I went for my first ultrasound at 12/13 wks., I was told that I had had a missed abortion and the fetus looked like it had stopped developing at 8 wks or so. The specialist who performed the D&C was very upset that I hadn't been given Rhogam immediately when I had first bled and wouldn't do surgery until I had had it. It's been almost 3 yrs since my D&C and I've not been able to get pregnant since. My hormone levels, HSG results and my husband's semenalysis are all perfectly normal. Unexplained fertility. Before I go into more invasive and expensive preocedures, I'd like to know if it's possible that isoimmunization could be a reason that I'm having trouble conceiving. Could my body be attacking my husband's sperm? If there is a test to confirm this, please let me know so that I can talk to my (new) doctor before resoting to more drastic procedures! I'm having trouble finding info on the relationship between isoimmunization and infertility and nobody seems to know what I'm talking about. Thanks!

   

• At Sun Apr 20, 06:17:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Apr 16: A simple antibody screen should be able to tell you if you are isoimmunized at this time and that is a study that gets repeated early in every pregnancy as part of the routine labs. As far as I know there is no association between infertility and isoimmunization, but is someone out there knows of one, please let me know! I think you should see a specialist in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility if it has been a year of trying to conceive and no success. There are so many reasons for infertility and he/she will be the most efficient at evaluating your situation and in helping you to conceive. Best wishes and thanks for writing. Dr T

   

• At Fri Jun 20, 11:42:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Hi, I got married in the month of Feb 08 and in the first week of april i got to know i am 4 week pregnant. Before knowing this i did exercise and when i know that i am pregnant i stopped all things. But after 3-4 days i got severe pain and starts bleeding. In ultrasound doctor said you lost your baby. Can you tell me this is because of my exercise or my husband and my blood difference as he is A- and i am A+. Doctor gave me antibody injection after miscarriage. Please tell me the reason because we are planning for baby and this time i dont want to lose...

   

• At Fri Jul 11, 06:37:00 AM 2008,  Michelle said…

  This article was easy to comprehend and I enjoyed reading the comments as well. I became increasingly interested in RH negative factors when I found out my son was AB(-)negative. His father is B(-)negative and I am certain I am O(+)postive like my father however my mother was A(-)negative. I find in fascinating how my son recieved the A(-)negative from me and the B(-)negative from his father hence giving him the rarest blood possible. Do scientist know what determines why a child receives one or the other type and factor from a heterozygote like myself?? ;)Thanks

   

• At Fri Jul 11, 11:06:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  hi. my son was recently born with a blood type of B+ while my husband is AB- and I am B-. I am 100% positive that he is the father, but people say its not possible, can you help me? completely confused

   

• At Fri Jul 11, 11:19:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  hi. my son was recently born with a B+ blood type while my husband is AB- and I am A-, my doctor says this is not possible. I know that my husband is the father. Is there any explaination that makes sense. please help me. thank you, Confused

   

• At Sat Jul 12, 01:15:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Hi, i have been One and a half year ago. actually my blood group is O Positieve and my wife blood group is O negitive. and my child was died few months ago at the time of delivery. but the doctor said me that this death is due to your blood groups. Doctor also give the injection of antigene in he pregnency of 3rd month and after the delivery. but i dont know why this happen. doctor said me that this is due to the blood group. please explain me more but i also very much satisfied from this study.thanks a lot because today i am tension free and happy. becuuse i need this type of search from few monhts.

   

• At Sat Jul 12, 08:51:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Michelle: I think most folks think it is purely the result of chance! Some blood types do confer a sective advantage against infection in certain environments, so maybe that plays into the mix as well. Thank you for reading. Dr T

   

• At Mon Jul 14, 07:32:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous June 20: It is VERY unlikely that your blood types caused you to lose the baby. The most common causes of early pregnancy losses are chronosomal abnormalities and anyone can have that happen at any age. Also, exercise in early pregnancy is a very unlikley reason for the loss as well. Best wishes and I am sorry for your loss. Dr T

   

• At Mon Jul 14, 07:35:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To confused July 11: One of you may carry the Du variant of Rh which will test positive. Or, there might have been a mixup in the laboratory! If you are certain of the baby's paternity, go to a hematologist and he/she will be able to sort it out for you. Good luck,thanks for reading, and please let us know what you find out!. Dr T

   

• At Mon Jul 14, 07:38:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous July 12: I am so sorry. Your wife must have become sensitized to Rh-antigen during the pregnancy. Before you try to have another baby, please schedule an appointment with a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine. Best wishes to you. Dr T

   

• At Wed Jul 30, 06:10:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Hi, I am Rh Negative. I know it may sound dumb but can you please let me know if it means my blood type is 0 negative?

   

• At Wed Jul 30, 03:40:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Hi my father is o+ and my mother is A- I am also A- but my sister has said the she had a blood transfusion when she was small and now her blood group reads as rh-b12 i have never heard of this as i thought you had to have the same group transfused could she have had some other antibodies added? she is not allowed to give blood either

   

• At Wed Aug 06, 06:52:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous July 30: No. You could have any of the major blood group antigens (A, B, AB, or O) that are separate from the Rh-antigen system. Your doctor should have that result as well! Dr T

   

• At Wed Aug 06, 06:55:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous July 30 03:40: I am sorry, but I have absoluetly no idea what that result means. Could you get some more information. She probably developed an abnormal antibody as a result of the blood transfusion. This is called 'isoimmunization', but I would be interested to knao what you find out. Blood transfusions do NOT change your blood type. Dr T

   

• At Fri Aug 08, 12:56:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I am 38 weeks pregnant and I just had an antibody screening yesterday to find out why my body is producing them. I am type o positive and my husband is B Positive what is the possibility (statistically) that my child will be born with jaundice or some other medical problem related to abo incompaitbility? Do a lot of cases go on with no problems at all? Surely since o positive is the most common blood among caucasians a lot of women have been in my same situation

   

• At Sat Aug 09, 06:24:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Aug 8: What was the antibody and how much is there (antibody titer)? Many cases in which women develop antibodies (become sensitized or isoimmunized) do NOT put their babies at risk for hemolytic disease (anemia). Please let us know and best wishes! Dr T

   

• At Sat Aug 09, 07:22:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Thank you for your response Dr. T....I was seeing a previous doctor and when he ran a blood test I guess he just wrote down I tested positive for antibodies but he never said which kind. So my new doctor just said he had to retest me with the antibody screen to see what my cells are trying to attack. He had mentioned since I am o positive and my husband was b positve that there is a possibility of my cells getting in the placenta but he didn't sound too worried. I get really worried when I get online and read about the problems it can have on the center for disease control websites among other sites. I never saw a statistic about it though. So I have my fingers crossed that the antibodies are gone or perhaps it was just a slight infection. I was just diagnosed with GBS also is it possible the antibodies are built up against that or would they not need to because I am colonized?

   

• At Tue Aug 12, 07:35:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Aug 9: You poor thing. Just relax. The first step is to find out what the antibodies are directed against - since they were found during a blood screen, they are some kind of anti-red blood cell antigen antibodies. The GBS has NOTHING t do with that. Many people carry GBS despite having antibodies againsta that bacterium. Let me know when you get the test results back and I will explain in plain English! Dr T

   

• At Fri Aug 22, 05:01:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  When I had my antibody screening done at my 11 week check up, it came back that there were antibodies in my blood. My blood type is A+ and my husband's blood type is O+. What do these antibodies mean? No one has given me a clear answer.

   

• At Tue Aug 26, 08:13:00 PM 2008,  Sarah said…

  Hi Dr. T. I am 20 and been married for 2 years. I have had 2 confirmed miscarriages (The first at 12 weeks, and the second at less than 3) and am RH negative. I recieved the rhogam shot with my first miscariage, but not the second. I have read some very disturbing things about what the negative factor can cause during a pregnancy and would like to know if I had become sensetized would it affect my ability to conceive and carry a healthy pregnancy when my husband and I are ready to try again? I want to be a mother more than anything and I'm afraid that I may pass the 8 week mark for the first shot and lose another child.

   

• At Wed Aug 27, 06:21:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Aug 22: There are many different red blood cell antigens to which you can develop antibodies. Ask your doctor to tell you specifically which antibodies you have and what is their titer! Then I will help answer your questions! Dr T

   

• At Wed Sep 03, 11:25:00 AM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Sarah: If you become Rh-sensitized, it will not affect your ability to conceive, but may, indeed, complicate a pregnancy. You can have your doctor run an "antibody screen" to see if you became sensitized following the last miscarriage. If there is no evidence of that now, then there is a good chance you did not. That is also one of the routine screening tests that gets done at the beginning of any new pregnancy. Many Rh-sensitized women carry pregnancies successfully, so there is NO REASON to panic at this point, but if you do have anymore miscarriages, make sure to ask about getting the Rh-immunoglobulin shot! Best wishes. Dr T

   

• At Thu Sep 04, 08:20:00 AM 2008,  Carol said…

  Hi, Big discussion is 10 years ago I was A- and had the Rogham shot, 5 years ago,they typed my blood with my 2nd baby and said i was A+, I didnt get the shot after she was born. 2 miscarriages later, I am pregnant again and typed my blood and it was A-. Doctor said to get husbands blood typed. So we found he is A POSITIVE with a Negative Antibody screen. What does this mean?

   

• At Sat Sep 06, 06:09:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  hi...im 30 years, my blood type is O+ and my husband's B-. Im polycystic and im still having a treatment now. Does our blood types can affect or can add to my situation now of not conceiving a child? Will this have a effect on our baby once i bear one? Many thanks in advance....i just wanted to have a worry- free mind.
  Have a nice

   

• At Mon Sep 08, 10:42:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I am O-. During my second pregnancy, i became sensitized, which we figured happened because i did not recieve any rhogam after having my first child. After I gave birth to my second child, i had some test done where they discovered that my blood type is actually JKA-, my son had jaundice really bad, levels peaked at 17. What does it mean to be JKA-, and how will it affect me if i were to become pregnant again?

   

• At Thu Sep 18, 11:23:00 AM 2008,  danielle said…

  hi i was just wondering if someone could help me please. 1st i was told im rhesus negative about 2 weeks ago after i miscarried but was also told im o- at a different scanning is it possible im both because im very confused? and second we was told if my boyfriend is rhesus negative aswell we would have nothing to worry about with future prgnancies but he is A negative so does that make him rhesus negative? and do we have alot to worry about with future pregnancies?

   

• At Fri Sep 19, 06:15:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Carol: What this means is that after your second child was born, they mistyped your blood. That can happen if your baby is A+ and some of his/her blood got into your blood stream. You are most likely A- as you have been told in the past. You are also VERY fortunate that you have not become 'sensitized' as a result of this mishap, but you still could be and need to be checked with any more pregnancies. Thanks for writing. Dr T

   

• At Fri Sep 19, 06:16:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Sept 6: The difference in your blood types should NOT affect your ability to get pregnant and carry a pregnancy. Dr T

   

• At Fri Sep 19, 06:18:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Sept 8: Are you Rh-sensitized or sensitized to JKa (or both)? If it is the latter, that would probably not have been prevented eben if you had received Rhogam. Let me know and I will tell you my thoughts. Dr T

   

• At Fri Sep 19, 06:21:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Danielle: "Rhesus negative" refers to the Rh system and the "-" that follows after your blood type (in your case O and in your partners case A). So you are BOTH Rh-negative and as long as he is your partner, you will not need the shot of Rh-immune globulin after ANY pregnancy because the two of you can ONLY make Rh-negative babies! Dr T

   

• At Mon Oct 13, 01:40:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Thank you for the article. I am a physician and my wife delivered about 24 hours ago. We are both Rh negative. She is O- and I am A-. Our baby is A-. We have been told 5 times now by various nurses that we need Rhogam. We have not yet been told this by either the Ob or Peds doc but the topic just did not come up. My wife did get Rhogam at 28 weeks but only because I was not there that day and she was scared. From what I understand, we can't possibly benefit from Rhogam. Am I wrong? I do not want a treatment my wife does not need but I also fear that I might be missing something. They did an antibody screen -- obviously there could be some other antibody issue, but could Rhogam help with other Antibody incompatibility issues other than Rh? The baby is fine with no jaundice yet. Bili was 8 at 24 hrs. Of note, we had a miscarriage a year ago at 10 weeks and were told we did not need rhogam then. Thanks in advance for your time and reply.

   

• At Fri Oct 17, 10:29:00 AM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Oct 13: She ABSOLUTELY DOES NOT need Rhogam. Not only are you both Rh-negative but, as expected, the baby is Rh-negative as well. Someone needs to educate the nursing staff at your hospital! Regards, Dr T

   

• At Fri Oct 17, 12:54:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  So what you are saying if the father has say A- blood type and the mother has a postive blood type there wont be no need for the shot?...Its only givin if the mother is rh negative correcet...I was just wonderin cause my blood type is a+ but we dont know my husbands blood type...But im currently 5 weeks pregnant and had blood work and im rh postitive...so whats the outcome of him being rh negative?...Or are there any?...

   

• At Tue Oct 21, 06:08:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Oct 17: Correct. If you are Rh-positive (which you are), you do not need the shot. It does not matter what your husband's blood type is under those circumstances. Dr T

   

• At Sat Oct 25, 08:13:00 PM 2008,  ry said…

  hi.girl is a+ and i am o+ wll it match for marriage or will i get a gud marriage life..plzzz tell me about our child birth.

   

• At Mon Nov 10, 11:59:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  I am so scared. I am waiting for the call to say if I am sensitized or not. I am RH negative, and am 21 weeks pregnant. I just had the blood work done last week. I waited so long because I am so SEVERELY phobic of needles. I had to be sedated and take my OWN blood because I wouldn't let them touch me. The father is A+ and I had a previous abortion, but I DID get the shot with that abortion, which was at 6 weeks, and was a pill abortion. I have never (to my knowledge) had a miscarriage or any other pregnancy, or any transfusions. Should I be so worried? The shot always works, right? My risk of being sensitized should be virtually zero, unless it occured in THIS pregnancy (where I have had no traumas and am, as mentioned, only 21 weeks along). The reason I am SO SCARED is that if I am sensitized, the midwife will drop me and I will be forced into a hospital birth and more tests! I am way too phobic to deal with that, and am honestly a serious suicide/mental health risk if pushed/forced into medical procedure. I am THAT scared of needles, IVs, and so forth. Yes, I am in treatment for the mental health issues, but time is of the essence here. I fear for my sanity if that test shows I am sensitized. I want some reassurance the chances are zero since I had the rhogam shot with the abortion.

   

• At Wed Nov 12, 07:31:00 PM 2008,  Belle said…

  Hello...My names Arielle an I am currently pregnent with my first child. My MidWife had me go get my blood taken an they came back an told me I was A-. An I have a apt. at the hospitial to go get the Rhogam shot. I was wandering if it would be better for me to go get this shot now or wait until I have had my baby an then they give me the shot after? Because some people are telling me they have the same blood type that have been pregnent an then said they did not get there shot until after he/she was born. I am so Afraid to go get this shot because I dont know the harm it could do to my unborn son an if this is even right. I mean I was reading what you have on here an all the information but still I am not understanding what A- is. I dont have no clue what the fathers blood type is. So if you could please let me know what I should do that would be best for my babys sake. An I wanted to know if that shot hurt and where it would be injected at. Hopefully you could really help me out I would greatly appriciate it.
  Thank you so much,
  Arielle

   

• At Wed Nov 12, 07:34:00 PM 2008,  Belle said…

  Hello...My names Arielle an I am currently pregnent with my first child. My MidWife had me go get my blood taken an they came back an told me I was A-. An I have a apt. at the hospitial to go get the Rhogam shot. I was wandering if it would be better for me to go get this shot now or wait until I have had my baby an then they give me the shot after? Because some people are telling me they have the same blood type that have been pregnent an then said they did not get there shot until after he/she was born. I am so Afraid to go get this shot because I dont know the harm it could do to my unborn son an if this is even right. I mean I was reading what you have on here an all the information but still I am not understanding what A- is. I dont have no clue what the fathers blood type is. So if you could please let me know what I should do that would be best for my babys sake. An I wanted to know if that shot hurt and where it would be injected at. Hopefully you could really help me out I would greatly appriciate it.
  Thank you so much,
  Arielle

   

• At Thu Nov 13, 08:54:00 PM 2008,  varun said…

  hi.my blood group is o positive n my husband to b blood group is also o positive.so is there any problem..? m really tensed plz help

   

• At Thu Nov 20, 09:35:00 AM 2008,  Lacy said…

  Hi Dr. T, I was in a very bad accident when I was 19, I received emergency blood (around 13 units), evidently some of which was Rh+ (I am O negative). My husband is A+. During our first pregnancy the antibody D was discovered at about 29 weeks when I had my blood work for the Rhogam shot. I was sent to MFM and monitored weekly through the cerebral art us. My titre at that time was 1:64. We were induced early and had no severe complications, just a little jaundiced. We were told that we should be able to have one more child with no complications, but after that they did not recommend any more. I miscarried a little over 2 months ago, my titre on 10/28 was 1:256 for anti D, now I am showing an anti V at 1:64. I have an appointment with MFM for the end of December (the soonest they could get me in!!) My question is: Is there an acceptable range for anti D titre to be able to concieve? I am so worried that we will be told we can't have anymore children. I am just trying to get a little more info before my appoinment. Thanks in advance!

   

• At Sat Nov 22, 07:04:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  to ry: You are both very low risk for having babies with blood incompatibility problems. Have a GREAT marriage! Dr T

   

• At Tue Nov 25, 07:09:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Hi my name is libby, I found out i was o- during my pregnancy with my son. i had the rogham shot i think up to 4 times once too early, one after my husband and i were having sex and i bled a lot of blood but fortuantly it stopped it was at 20 weeks i think,and 1 at 28 weeks and also after birth. My son is great. I think i may be pregnant again but if i am not we have been thinking about wanting one more. Im wondering if this next baby is safe from being affected from my blood attacking it? My husband and i have chosen from research and our thoughts not to recieve the rogham shot this time. so i was wondering if you can tell me my options. also if i have another bleeding episode can that mean the baby is exposed to my blood then? and if i just have bleeding such as menstraul period that does not affect is does it? thanks so much!!!

   

• At Tue Nov 25, 10:19:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  is there a shot for rh negative blood shots during pregnancy that has been created without donated blood particles? or will theyll soon be? thank you

   

• At Wed Nov 26, 07:33:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  hi this is libby again i seen that on my post i forgot to mention that my husband is O positive and i was O negative thats why its a problem. i blogged a question on nov 25. thanks for answering i figured this was information you needed that i left out! lol

   

• At Thu Nov 27, 10:54:00 AM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To anonymous Nov 10: You ARE at very low risk for being sensitized at this time and the Rh-immune globulin you will receive later in the pregnancy and following delivery will dramatically reduce your risk for becoming sensitized as the result of this pregnancy. However, NOTHING is 100% and you could still become sensitized to the Rh antigen or another blood group antigen even if you receive proper prophylactic therapy. The odds are in your favor that everything will be just fine so take a few slow, deep breaths and try to relax for the rest of your pregnancy! Best wishes. Dr T

   

• At Thu Nov 27, 11:01:00 AM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Lacy: First, I am sorry for your recent miscarriage, but it is unlikely that was the result of your Rh-isoimmunization. There is NO "acceptable titer" except a negative titer. Generally, women with titers that stay below 16 are at very low risk. However, with the technology we have available today, ultrasound, Dopplers, and the ability to perform intrauterine transfusions, specialists in maternal-fetal medicine are in a very good position to get you far enough along in a pregnancy that you can have a healthy baby. By the way, do you know if your husband is homozygous (carries two doses) or heterozygous (caries only one dose) of the D gene. If he is the latter, you do have other options available because you could conceivably have an Rh-negative baby who would do just fine regardless of how high your antibody titers are. Best wishes. Dr T

   

• At Thu Nov 27, 11:10:00 AM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Libby: The first oredr of business is to find out your husband's blood type and whether or not you were sensitized during the last pregnancy (which is unlikely at this time). My only concern would be what "research" have you come across that would discourage getting the Rhogam shot if your baby is at risk for being Rh-positive and you are, therefore, at risk for becoming sensitized? It is true that in most unsensitized women who only become sensitixed during a pregnancy, that baby is at lower risk for severe complications, but that does not hold true 100% of the time and why would you take that chance. Also, not to be morbid, but what if you became sensitized, then lost that baby for some reason after delivery and then decided you wanted to get pregnant again after all? That would place the next baby at much greater risk. Discuss with your doctor, or a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine, if necessary, whatever "research" you have come across that downplays the value, or exaggerates the risks of Rh-immuneglobulin before you make a decision you might later regret. Best wishes and thanks for writing Dr T

   

• At Thu Nov 27, 05:43:00 PM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Arielle: Under ordinary circumstances, the shot should be given at about 28 weeks and then again after delivery if the baby is found to be Rh-positive. It will NOT hurt your baby and it will help protect you from complications during later pregnancies. Best wishes and do not be afraid. Dr T

   

• At Fri Nov 28, 08:43:00 AM 2008,  Kenneth F. Trofatter, Jr., MD, PhD said…

  To Varun Nov 13: There should be no problem, Relax and enjoy your pregnancy! Dr T

   

• At Mon Dec 01, 12:01:00 PM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Hi dr. t. this is libby again. thanks for replying to my question. My husband is o - and i am waiting for the records on my sons blood type that was born. but my husband and i are pretty ositive that he is o neg like my husband. About the shot. I know it works wonderfully for some people, i have heard of some stories of other ones that said the shot caused their children to have neurological disorder because of the mercury or something? also donated blood bothers me to people are constantly getting sick from the diseases and problems with donated blood. it is just something thats is hard for me to want to do unless it is absolutley necessary! I dont think i have been sensitized because i have had all of the shots during my pregnancy i have never had a miscarriage, or previous pregnancy.so i was wondering with all the info if on my second child what estimated percentage of having problems would be, with all my history?

   

• At Mon Dec 08, 02:58:00 AM 2008,  susan said…

  Can an AB negative person change to o positive blood group?

   

• At Tue Dec 09, 11:15:00 AM 2008,  Anonymous said…

  Hi Iam confused and concerned I am A- and my husband is O- (his birth hospital blood card states). My daughter was born in 2001 and the ped stated she has O- blood so I never received the Rhogam shot. My last pregnancy was conceived through IUI which I confirmed mt husbands name and date of birth and signed before they did the procedures (I had two done back to back)My son was born in July and to my surprise his bloodtype is A+/coombs -! and had to receive the rhogam shot! It was my understanding two - produce -. I am very concerned, how could this have happened? Could the RE have made a mistake? Could the hospital have made a mistake? Please HELP! I am so embarassed to ask my doc or the ped for fear that they may think different of me when I haven't done anything. Am I making too much of this?

   

• At Wed Dec 10, 06:45:00 AM 2008,  Shastri said…

  I was B-. I got all my rhogram shots for my son's birth and a subsequent miscarriage 12 yrs hence.. I am 47 yrs. I am ITP (low platelettes). Had an emergency went for blood transfusion. They gave me A+ platelettes. I told the nurse that I am B-, why are they giving me A+ platelettes ?. They cancelled the transfusion .My blood not cross matching and the DR. told me that I have developed an antibody ? My blood type is now showing B+ and sometimes B- ??? The hematologist says I am not transfusable? Looking for answers. Can you help me? Shastri

   

• At Fri Jan 09, 11:39:00 AM 2009,  Anonymous said…

  Kansas anonymous: My wife had a prior pregnancy that was not discovered until the 3rd trimester. She is 0- and the child was O+. She never received the shots to prevent the antibodies. We are wanting to have a child, but I am O+, what can we expect with a 2nd child being born at O+ since she never had the shots?

   

• At Sun Jan 11, 07:59:00 AM 2009,  new-mommy said…

  I am Rh-negative, and had a baby 5 months ago who is positive. I had the RHogam shot at 28 weeks and within 48 hours after he was born. Everyone is telling me that I shouldn't have any problems with future pregnancies, but I am very concerned. I know of 3 cases where the mommies are RH negative, and were only able to concieve about 6-7 years after the first, with miscarriages in between. Is this due to them being rh-neg or is it simply a coincidence? Do drs. tell us that is has nothing to do with it just to ease our mids? I am not TTC yet but we'd like to start when our baby turns 1. I would be devastated to have a hard time, as with my first we got pregnant within the first try.

   

• At Wed Jan 14, 09:09:00 AM 2009,  Johnny said…

  My fiance is 0- and I am 0+ (mom was A+). My fiance had a child with A+ and was sensitized b/c she didn't receive Rhogam. Does blood type have anything to do with this as well? ie, if our second child is 0+ instead of A+, will she be able to get the Rhogam shot? Also, I don't under stand the different titers, can you shed some light on why there are different titers and which ones the child is affected by?

   

• At Thu Jan 15, 11:35:00 AM 2009,  Anonymous said…

  Hi,
  I had an abortion several years ago and am pretty sure I did not recieve a Rogham shot (had no idea about RH factor or my blood type). I just got pregant and had a misscarriage at 5 weeks - and found out I was A negative. They gave me a Rogham shot, but now I am concerned that I could have been sensitised from the abortion I had a few years ago. How likely is sensitization from an abortion? Also, the nurses said that being RH- was likely the cause of my miscarriage. I really want to get pregant and am concerned that I will have trouble. I don't know my husband's blood type. Please help. Thanks so much.

   

• At Sat Jan 17, 11:11:00 AM 2009,  Anonymous said…

  Can two people who have A negative blood types have a child who is also A negative?

   

• At Fri Jan 30, 09:03:00 AM 2009,  Anonymous said…

  Hi, i had a baby at the age of 17, i am A- and did not recieve the injections needed at any stage of my pregnancy. my 1st and only child has a posative blood group and i now have to carry a card round with me at all times, to state my blood group as i have 'anti d antibodies'.i have been trying over a year to get pregnant, and have had a hard time, still not pregnant, i accept the fact that sometimes you need to try for a couple years just incase im not catching on the correct days etc, but does my blood group effect the chances of me getting pregnant with another baby as my partner has a positive blood group, and if i do get pregnant will my blood group effect the chances of miscarriage etc? please help!

   

• At Tue Feb 03, 12:23:00 PM 2009,  Anonymous said…

  Hi, I am having Rh negative blood type.
  I have 14 month old boy, and I am trying to get pregnant since October 2008, and I want to know if it isn’t from my blood type that I am not getting pregnant.
  Thank you.

   

• At Tue Feb 03, 12:26:00 PM 2009,  Anonymous said…

  Hi, I am having Rh negative blood type.
  I have 14 month old boy, and I am trying to get pregnant agene since October 2008, and I want to know if it isn’t from my blood type that I am not getting pregnant.
  Thank you.

   

• At Mon Feb 09, 05:00:00 PM 2009,  Anonymous said…

  Hi. I had an abortion 18 years ago and was given a shot after in case I had a different blood type than the baby. Would that have been Rh-immune globulin? Would having had that change the dosage I would need at 28 weeks? I've never told anyone about the abortion, not even my doctor as my husband is always at appointments with me. I know that's stupid but I just don't want him to know. Am I hurting my baby by keeping this a secret?

   

• At Tue Feb 17, 11:30:00 AM 2009,  Anonymous said…

  This is my fourth pregnancy. I am Rh sensitized and have 3 beautiful healthy children. My pg's were highly monitored with my 3rd ending with a c centiona at 34 weeks and needing 2 exchange blood transfusions.
  I am now on my fourth and found out my titer levels were at 1:256 at only 3.5 weeks pregnant. I am now 8 weeks and they just retested my titer levels. I will not find out till next weeks. Have you heard of pregnancies with high titers this early on and still be successful? I am so scared!

   

• At Fri Feb 27, 01:53:00 PM 2009,  Anonymous said…

  hi, i am rh negative and i have a healthy eight year old daughter.Recieved the Anti D injection because she is o+. About two years later got pregnant and had an abortion and didn't receive the anti d injection and now i want to be pregnant can that harm my baby when i do get pregnant? Is there a test i can do before getting preg. to detect antibodies? i am so worried each time i think and read about it i breakdown. My husband and i are so anxious for a second child but am scared..please help me with all the information u can offer..Thank you so much..

   

• At Tue Mar 10, 06:28:00 PM 2009,  KIM said…

  Hi there... I am O negative and my husband is O positive. We have a healthy 4 1/2 year old son.. no problems with that pregnancy - a rough delivery but all was well - since then we have had a miscarriage at 10 1/2 weeks after seeing a heartbeat. Then we conceived again and lost that pregnancy at 16 weeks... the baby measured almost 17 weeks. I am now pregnant again and I am worried this may all be due to the RH factor - I am very early in my pregnancy.. should I have a blood test done to check the antibodies? Thanks for your help!

   

• At Wed Mar 11, 08:10:00 AM 2009,  Anonymous said…

  I am O Rh Negative and last year I got pregnant. Unfortunately I had to end the pregnancy when I was in my 7th week. The doctors in the clinic did not care at all what my blood type is and when I asked them if they would administer Rhogam since I have anegative rhesus factor, they said that it is not needed at this stage of the pregnancy. So...I am wondering if there is a chance that I got sensitized? My partner is positive.
  Thank you in advance!

   

• At Wed Mar 18, 10:55:00 AM 2009,  Anonymous said…

  Hi. i am A neg and my boyfriend is A neg as well, will our baby be A neg as well?? and is there ANY possibility the baby could be ANY other blood type?? thanks. -Rachel

   

• At Wed Mar 18, 11:05:00 AM 2009,  Anonymous said…

  Hi. ive been reading alot of the posts and you seem to have great answeres for everyone. my situation is very stressful, my fiance and i have been together for 6 years and we found out i was pregnant 7 mts ago. we are both very excited. i had no idea when my LMP was or when we concieved. but before we found out i was pregnant and we got ingaged, i cheated on him. me and the other man used protection and everything but now i am worried. me and my fiance were intimate that time as well, not using protection. since i didnt know when i got pregnant we went off the ultrasound and it was in the same ball park as when i cheated on him. literally within days!! i am not sure how accurate these ultrasounds are but we only did one. my fiance doesnt know about this accident and im very worried about his daughter being his. we both have A NEG blood so shouldn't the baby be A neg as well? pls tell me what you think the chances are! i am so worried! thanks! - Amelia.

   

• At Wed Mar 25, 09:58:00 AM 2009,  ammara said…

  Hello;
  i am 29 years old with O+ and my husband blood group is AB+.I miscarried two times.Also i have a thyriod problem but i was taking thyroxine at that time.Both miscarriages were due to blighted ovum.Please give me suggestion, what should i do?

   

• At Thu Apr 02, 01:04:00 PM 2009,  Anonymous said…

  hello i am a B+ and my mother is an O-... what could the possiblities of my fathers blood type be... ive looked on other websites they said AB or B

   

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