Leeds Fetal Medicine Unit Website

Blood groups and Rhesus incompatibility

All pregnant women in the UK will usually have their blood group determined when their booking bloods are taken. As part of the grouping determination an antibody screen is also performed to look for maternal antibodies against red blood cells from other blood groups. The commonest blood group type in the UK is A positive, however other blood groups are becoming more common as the population changes due to immigration. The reason for the these tests is to try and predict whether Rhesus disease may develop and if this is thought to be likely then to provide specialised monitoring and treatment. In Rhesus disease women who are Rhesus negative (who have a negative blood type e.g. A negative) develop antibodies to Rhesus positive blood types (e.g. A positive) usually following the birth of a baby with a Rhesus positive blood type (inherited from the childs father). To try and prevent this Rhesus negative women are given Anti-D at during pregnancy and at birth, but although this has drastically reduced the incidence of the disease, a few cases of antibody development (or immunisation) occur each year. Being immunised to Rhesus positive blood types is not harmful to the mother, but if she becomes pregnant again with aother Rhesus positive baby her immune system can produce antibodies that cross the placenta and attack the babies blood cells. Often this can lead to anaemia in the baby that simply requires treatment at birth, but in some cases without treatment the anaemia can become so bad that the child dies before birth. Happily treatment is very successful and this very rarely occurs in the UK, but if you know you are Rhesus negative and immunised to Rhesus positive blood types you should consult your hospital obstetrician before attempting to conceive so that you are fully aware of what extra interventions and treatments may be needed in your pregnancy.

Below are a series of leaflets to provide further information on this topic which are available in pdf format for download.

Patient information leaflet please click here

Information for medical professionals please click here

NHS Patient information leaflet on Blood Groups and Rhesus disease please click here

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