Blood group mismatch can’t prevent conception – Gynaecologist

Dr. Nathaniel Adewole, a Gynaecologist/ Obstetrician, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, has said blood group incompatibility can neither stop marriage nor prevent conception in rhesus negative women.He said blood group does not affect marriage; the one that does is genotype.

He explained that blood group incompatibility among couples was not a risk factor for infertility, but certain steps must be taken during pregnancy to prevent stillbirth or miscarriage.

“If a woman is rhesus negative and marries a man that is rhesus positive there is a possibility that the baby conceived will be rhesus positive.

“When a baby is rhesus positive he or she will sensitize the woman thereby causing the woman to develop the antibody against any other pregnancy.

“Usually is not the first pregnancy that will be affected, but the subsequent pregnancies.

“If the woman is sensitised, it means that anytime she conceives and the baby is rhesus positive the antigen from the woman will diffuse to the foetus blood and cause destruction of the red blood cells (haemolysis),’’ the expert said.

Adewole said when this happened and proper action was not taken the baby might die in the uterus (womb) because the woman has been sensitized.

He, however, noted that not all negative mothers who married rhesus positive husbands would be sensitized as some of them naturally might not be affected.

“But one cannot predict so it is better to give Rhogam anytime a rhesus negative woman had the miscarriage or deliver a baby within 72 hours of delivery to avoid sensitization,’’ he said.

Rhogam is a special immune globulin use to prevent rhesus incompatibility in mothers who are negative, if the father of the baby is positive or not known.

Adewole, nevertheless, advised expectant mothers to attend an ante-natal clinic for a necessary test to detect if the mother is negative and necessary steps taken to ensure the safety of the child.