KENNEDY K.
PREGNANCY IN A RH-NEGATIVE
WOMAN
,OBJECTIVES
▪ By the end of this lesson we should be able
to:
Define rhesus and ABO incompatibility
Outline the pathophysiology of Rhesus
isoimmunization
Discuss the antenatal and postnatal management
of rhesus incompatibility in pregnancy
Outline the prevention of rhesus isoimmunization
State when the anti-D is given
,Introduction
▪ Landsteiner and Weiner in the year 1940,
discovered specific unknown antigen in the
human red cells.
▪ As it was also present in the Rhesus monkeys,
the antigen was named Rh.
▪ The individual having the antigen is called
Rh-positive and in whom it is not present, is
called Rh-negative.
, Incidence
▪ The incidence of Rh-negative is about 15–17%
▪ About 60% of Rh-positive men are heterozygous
and 40% are homozygous at the D locus.
▪ Overall a Rh-negative woman having the chance
of Rh-positive fetus is 60%, irrespective of the
father’s genotype
PREGNANCY IN A RH-NEGATIVE
WOMAN
,OBJECTIVES
▪ By the end of this lesson we should be able
to:
Define rhesus and ABO incompatibility
Outline the pathophysiology of Rhesus
isoimmunization
Discuss the antenatal and postnatal management
of rhesus incompatibility in pregnancy
Outline the prevention of rhesus isoimmunization
State when the anti-D is given
,Introduction
▪ Landsteiner and Weiner in the year 1940,
discovered specific unknown antigen in the
human red cells.
▪ As it was also present in the Rhesus monkeys,
the antigen was named Rh.
▪ The individual having the antigen is called
Rh-positive and in whom it is not present, is
called Rh-negative.
, Incidence
▪ The incidence of Rh-negative is about 15–17%
▪ About 60% of Rh-positive men are heterozygous
and 40% are homozygous at the D locus.
▪ Overall a Rh-negative woman having the chance
of Rh-positive fetus is 60%, irrespective of the
father’s genotype
