The mother’s body detects these antibodies, and reacts as though the immune system had already taken action against the “foreign” Rh-positive red blood cells. A vaccination introduces the body to a dosage of a virus that is too small to cause serious illness, which enables the body to learn to fight the virus effectively, thereby preventing serious illness in the future.Ī RhoGAM shot contains antibodies to Rh-positive blood, but not enough of them to cause harm to the fetal bloodstream. In a way, RhoGAM can be said to work almost like a vaccination. It is also extremely important for Rh-negative women to receive this injection after any miscarriage or abortion in order to avoid future pregnancy complications. For Rh-negative women who are experiencing their first pregnancy, RhoGAM is usually not administered until their 28 th week of pregnancy, and then again within 72 hours after delivery.įor every subsequent pregnancy after the first, RhoGAM will need to be administered at regular intervals, especially during the second half of the pregnancy. This most commonly occurs during pregnancy and blood transfusions. RhoGAM only needs to be administered when Rh-negative blood may potentially be exposed to Rh-positive blood. Rh immunoglobulin prevents your immune system from attacking your baby’s blood. This can lead to problems such as fetal anemia, which in turn can cause a life-threatening condition known as hydrops fetalis, which causes internal bleeding, heart and kidney failure, and shock. When Rh-negative blood is exposed to Rh positive blood, the Rh negative blood responds by producing antibodies that attack and destroy the Rh positive blood cells. Learn more about the Rh Factor During Pregnancy to see if you will need the RhoGAM shot. Still, RhoGAM is not known to be harmful to a baby during pregnancy or breastfeeding. If you have a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia, an immune globulin-A deficiency, heart or kidney disease, or have an allergy to human immune globulin, you will need to discuss this with your healthcare provider first. Some people are allergic to this medication and should not use it. Since the introduction of these two drugs, problems caused by Rh incompatibility in pregnancy have almost disappeared. In 1977, a mini-dose called MICRhoGAM was introduced. The FDA approved RhoGAM in 1968, and since then it has saved countless lives. Rh incompatibility is a mismatch between the blood of the mother and the blood of the fetus and occurs when the mother is Rh negative and the fetus is Rh positive. Rh factor is not typically a health concern until pregnancy occurs or a blood transfusion is needed.
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