Question

A woman who is gravida 2, para 2, is Rh negative and her partner is Rh positive. Her first child was Rh negative. She has just given birth to an Rh positive infant. Her indirect Coombs test is positive. Her infant’s direct Coombs test is also positive. Is she a candidate for RhoGAM? Explain.

Answer 1

Rh incompatibility occurs if an Rh-negative mother and is carrying a child with an Rh-positive father.that is, blood cells from Rh positive baby cross mothers bloodstream, which can happen during pregnancy, labour and delivery.It can be developed in the baby if mother did not receive Rho(D) Immune Globulin.Rh negative child will not develop incompatibility in mother.

coombs test

also known as antiglobulin test and there are of two types.

• direct
• indirect

Direct Coombs test is used to detect the antibodies that are bound to the surface of red blood cells.

Indirect Coombs test is used in prenatal testing of pregnant women.it detects antibodies against RBCs that are present unbound in the patient's serum.

this woman did not develop any incompatibility during her first pregnancy, and the blood group of second child developed erythroblastosis feotalis .it suggests that should receive the second dose of RhoGAM 3within 72 hours after delivery.(initial dose would be given in most cases between 26-28 week of pregnancy)