OVERVIEW
Blood groups: A, B, AB, O and Rh
Blood types can be A, B, AB or O
Rh positive or Rh negative
based on the protein present on the Red blood cells.
You can know your blood group with a simple blood test and it is very important to be aware of your blood type.
Your blood group is a result of the
genes you inherit from your mother
and father and does not affect your
health in any way. It depends. On the presence of antigen A, antigen B and antigen D. (If you have antigens A and D, you are A+ve, if you have antigens B and D, you are B+ve). In the absence of D your blood group is Rh -ve. In he absence of antigens A, and B you have the blood group O
Blood group incompatibility
Blood group incompatibility happens
when the mother and baby’s blood
are clashing:
A, B, AB and O incompatibility do not
cause major illnesses in the baby
Rh incompatibility is a result of :
Mother being Rh negative (without
Rh factor) and baby being Rh
positive (with Rh factor)
Such as when the mother is A-ve ,
B-ve, AB-ve or O-ve and the baby is
either A+ve, B+ve, AB+ve or O+ve
Concerns: blood donation and pregnancy
When a person with a certain blood group receives or is exposed to an incompatible blood group, the body recognises the proteins as a foreign antigen. The body then produces antibodies to it.
This is known as immunisation.
This can be a problem in cases of
blood transfusion where the recipient may face complications if they receive the wrong blood group and in the case of a woman pregnant with a baby and their blood groups are in conflict with each other.