Patient's question:
Additionally, I would like to ask, since this Rh incompatibility situation has occurred, how can it be prevented to have a healthy baby next time?Doctor's answer:
Hello: Women who are Rh-negative and whose husbands are Rh-positive should pay special attention to family planning. If they become pregnant, prenatal care should be strengthened. If prenatal care indicates a strong Rh immune response, which may lead to fetal hydrops or stillbirth, selective cases can undergo induced abortion at the appropriate time. This can reduce the risk of infant death due to hemolytic disease.The red blood cells of the fetus enter the maternal bloodstream through the placenta, causing the mother to become sensitized to the Rh antigen, which is common during delivery. Passive immunization can suppress the active immune response to the same antigen. Concentrated RhIgG immunoglobulin can be used for Rh-negative primiparas to prevent the mother from being sensitized to the fetus's Rh antigen. The method involves administering 100–300 μg of RhIgG immunoglobulin intramuscularly to the mother within 72 hours after delivery. This can destroy Rh-positive fetal red blood cells that may be present in the blood, reducing the occurrence of Rh immunization by approximately 80%–85%. This preventive treatment is effective only for first-time Rh immunization in primiparas who have not received Rh-positive blood.
During pregnancy, if there is significant placental bleeding or accidental transfusion of Rh-positive blood, RhIg immunoglobulin can also be used to prevent or reduce the mother's immune response. The dosage should be at least 20 μg of RhIg per milliliter of Rh-positive blood received by the mother. Additionally, a routine injection of 240–300 μg should be administered at 28 weeks of gestation.