Pathologic Function
rhesus incompatibility
Also called:
Erythroblastosis Fetalis
Definitions related to rhesus incompatibility:
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(rh incompatibility) A complication during pregnancy; it occurs when the mother is Rh-negative and the infant is Rh-positive. This complication generally does not affect first-born Rh-positive babies. Rh-positive newborn babies from subsequent pregnancies develop complications of Rh incompatibility which include hemolysis, jaundice, enlarged liver and spleen, petechiae, hypotonia, neurologic damage, and heart problems.NCI ThesaurusU.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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(rh incompatibility) There are four major blood types: A, B, O, and AB. The types are based on substances on the surface of the blood cells. Another blood type is called Rh. Rh factor is a protein on red blood cells. Most people are Rh-positive; they have Rh factor. Rh-negative people don't have it. Rh factor is inherited through genes. When you're pregnant, blood from your baby can cross into your bloodstream, especially during delivery. If you're Rh-negative and your baby is Rh-positive, your body will react to the baby's blood as a foreign substance. It will create antibodies (proteins) against the baby's blood. These antibodies usually don't cause problems during a first pregnancy. But Rh incompatibility may cause problems in later pregnancies, if the baby is Rh-positive. This is because the antibodies stay in your body once they have formed. The antibodies can cross the placenta and attack the baby's red blood cells. The baby could get Rh disease, a serious condition that can cause a serious type of anemia. Blood tests can tell whether you have Rh factor and whether your body has made antibodies. Injections of a medicine called Rh immune globulin can keep your body from making Rh antibodies. It helps prevent the problems of Rh incompatibility. If treatment is needed for the baby, it can include supplements to help the body to make red blood cells and blood transfusions. NIHMedlinePlusU.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
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Rh incompatibility occurs when a pregnant woman has Rh-negative blood and the fetus has Rh-positive blood. Rh incompatibility can result in destruction of the fetus�s red blood cells, sometimes causing anemia that can be severe.Merck & Co., Inc., 2020
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The Rh factor (ie, Rhesus factor) is a red blood cell surface antigen that was named after the monkeys in which it was first discovered. Rh incompatibility, also known as Rh disease, is a condition that occurs when a woman with Rh-negative blood type is exposed to Rh-positive blood cells, leading to the development of Rh antibodies.WebMD, 2019
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Rh incompatibility is caused by destruction of fetal erythrocytes from transplacental passage of maternally derived IgG antibodies. IgG antibodies are produced by the maternal immune system, usually against the rhesus D (RhD) antigen. These antibodies can freely cross the placenta, binding to and destroying RBCs. More than 50 known RBC...Athenahealth, Inc., 2019
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