Name: Arteriosclerosis
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 5 min 37 s
Description: Exercise well. Your heart will be very happy and start pumping merrily. Eat healthy to stay healthy. Watch the video to know about heart disorders and their...

Question

Explain Rh-incompatibility in humans.

Accepted Answer

The absence or presence of the Rh factor in the blood is the basis of Rh grouping of blood. At first, this Rh-factor was recorded in Rhesus monkeys and thus named Rh-factor. If the Rh factor is present, then the blood group is said to be Rh-positive; otherwise, it is called Rh-negative. If the blood group of a person is B+ve, then the person cannot be given B-ve blood. Doctors also need to match the Rh grouping while performing blood transfusion in a patient.

A special case of Rh incompatibility exists between Rh-negative mother and Rh-positive foetus. During the first pregnancy, the Rh antigens of the foetus do not get exposed to the Rh-negative blood of the mother because placenta ensures complete separation of blood flowing in the mother and the foetus.

But the possibility of exposure of mother's blood to Rh antigens from the foetus can be there. If that happens, the mother starts preparing antibodies against Rh antigens. In the case of subsequent pregnancies, Rh antibodies from the mother can leak into the Rh-positive foetus. This can be fatal to the foetus. This can also cause severe anaemia and jaundice to the baby. This condition is called Erythroblastosis fetalis. To tackle the problem, the mother is given antidote to Rh antibodies just after the delivery of the first child.

NCERT Solutions for Chapter: Body Fluids And Circulation, Exercise 4: LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

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