Rh incompatibility is a condition reported to occur during a woman's pregnancy when the woman's blood is Rh-negative and the baby's blood is Rh-positive. Rh-negative and Rh-positive are references to whether the individual's blood has Rh factor which is a protein reported to be on the individual's red blood cells. (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, 2014, p. 1) The problem with the mother with Rh-negative blood carrying a child with Rh-positive blood occurs when the baby's blood somehow crosses into the blood stream of the mother and this is reported to occur most often during delivery of the baby. The mother's body with Rh-negative blood will have a reaction to the blood of the baby as though the baby's blood were a foreign substance and the mother's body creates antibodies or proteins that fight...
These antibodies are reported to be such that do not create problems during a first pregnancy however, in later pregnancies since the antibodies are always in the body if the woman with Rh-negative blood carries additional children with Rh-positive blood a problem is likely to occur. (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2014, and The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2013, paraphrased)Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
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