Pregnancy comes with several routine medical tests, and one of the most important is determining the blood group and Rhesus (Rh) factor of both parents.
Although often overlooked, knowing a mother’s Rh status can help prevent a potentially life-threatening pregnancy complication known as Rhesus incompatibility.
Rhesus incompatibility occurs when a woman with Rh-negative blood is carrying an Rh-positive baby. In this situation, the mother’s immune system may recognise the baby’s Rh-positive red blood cells as foreign and begin producing antibodies against them.
The condition rarely affects a first pregnancy because the mother’s immune system is usually exposed to the baby’s blood only towards the end of pregnancy or during childbirth.
However, once these antibodies develop, they can cross the placenta in subsequent pregnancies and attack the red blood cells of another Rh-positive baby, increasing the risk of severe complications.
