I have decided to write about this today because it seems some people still don’t fully understand the meaning and the reason behind RhoGAM
During pregnancy, the mother’s body naturally produces antibodies, special proteins that help fight infections and keep both her and the baby safe. These antibodies can cross the placenta to protect the unborn child. Antibodies come in different forms, and the interaction between the parents’ blood groups also plays a key role in pregnancy health.
In blood group compatibility, the Rhesus (Rh) factor is important. The positive (+) Rh factor is dominant over the negative (−). So, if the husband is Rh positive (+) and the wife is Rh negative (−), the baby is likely to inherit the father’s positive Rh factor.
During the first pregnancy, a small amount of the baby’s Rh-positive blood may pass into the mother’s Rh-negative bloodstream through the placenta. Because the mother’s body recognizes this as foreign, her immune system is triggered to respond. In this process, she produces two types of antibodies, IgM (produced immediately within 1-2 weeks) and IgG (produced later in pregnancy or after childbirth).
The IgM antibodies are large molecules that cannot cross the placenta, so they remain in the mother’s blood and do not affect the baby. This is why the first pregnancy is usually safe, even if blood mixing occurs. However, after childbirth, the mother’s body produces IgG antibodies, these are smaller and can cross the placenta. Once produced, these antibodies are stored as memory cells, meaning the mother’s immune system remembers the Rh-positive blood as a threat.
In a subsequent pregnancy, if the baby is again Rh positive, the mother’s immune system quickly produces both IgM and IgG antibodies. This time, the IgG antibodies cross the placenta and destroy the baby’s red oGAMblood cells, which can lead to severe complications such as anemia, jaundice, or even miscarriage.
The solution to this problem is the RhoGAM injection. RhoGAM is administered within 72 hours after the first delivery. It works by destroying any Rh-positive fetal red blood cells that may have entered the mother’s bloodstream before her immune system can react to them. This prevents the formation of IgG antibodies and stops sensitization from happening.
As a result, in the next pregnancy, the mother’s immune system does not remember the previous exposure, and no harmful antibodies are produced. And the cycle starts again. This keeps both the mother and her future babies safe.
So, it’s very important for every Rh-negative woman to receive the RhoGAM injection at the right time during pregnancy to prevent possible complications.
In fact, some cases of repeated miscarriages, which people sometimes attribute to spiritual causes or village people, may actually be due to Rh incompatibility.
Being educated and informed helps us understand the real medical reasons behind such issues, rather than linking them to myths or superstitions.
