What Is Rh Disease?

Every single person is born with a specific RH factor. The Rhesus factor is negative in just about 15% of all people. Problems arise if the baby has a positive blood group and the mother has a negative blood group. During the delivery of her first baby, the mother's bloodstream would be exposed to the fetus's blood. Her immune system sees the blood as alien and starts to produce antibodies to protect her. These antibodies will remain in the mother's blood for life. Should the mother have another baby, and that baby happens to be Rhesus-positive, these antibodies will then attack the baby's red blood cells, which will cause mild jaundice or anemia in the fetus and at times can even be fatal.
An injection is given to the mother soon after the birth of a Rhesus positive baby, which destroys the baby's blood in her system before her body has time to produce antibodies.