Why Rh antigen of the foetus do not get exposed to Rh-ve blood of the mother in first pregnancy
Dear Student,
Rh factor is an inherited protein present on the surface of red blood cells. If your blood has Rh protein, you're considered as Rh-positive and its absence is said to be Rh-negative.
If Rh-positive foetus is exposed to Rh-negative blood of the mother, the immune system of the mother get sensitized and starts to develop antibodies against the Rh-positive blood cells. These antibodies recognize foetal's Rh-positive antigen as a foreign antigen. This results in Rh incompatibility.
During the first pregnancy, these antibodies are not dangerous as more chances are that the mother does not get exposed to foetus blood until delivery due to placenta. However, in the second pregnancy, the previously formed antibodies can recognize the foetus blood cells as foreign and will cause agglutination and hemolysis of foetus blood. Without medical intervention, all the subsequent pregnancies are at risk of being self-terminate by these Rh-positive antibodies.
Regards
Dear Student,
Rh factor is an inherited protein present on the surface of red blood cells. If your blood has Rh protein, you're considered as Rh-positive and its absence is said to be Rh-negative.
If Rh-positive foetus is exposed to Rh-negative blood of the mother, the immune system of the mother get sensitized and starts to develop antibodies against the Rh-positive blood cells. These antibodies recognize foetal's Rh-positive antigen as a foreign antigen. This results in Rh incompatibility.
During the first pregnancy, these antibodies are not dangerous as more chances are that the mother does not get exposed to foetus blood until delivery due to placenta. However, in the second pregnancy, the previously formed antibodies can recognize the foetus blood cells as foreign and will cause agglutination and hemolysis of foetus blood. Without medical intervention, all the subsequent pregnancies are at risk of being self-terminate by these Rh-positive antibodies.
Regards
