When a mother is Rh-, there is a chance the baby may have hemolytic disease of Newborns. Rh+ mothers do not have this issue. Why? Rh- moms do not have the Rh antigen in their body. A Rh- mom can have a Rh+ baby depending on the male sperm. During pregnancy, Rh- mom can be exposed to her baby's Rh antigen. Let's look at figure a) the first pregnancy. The Rh- mom is pregnant with a Rh+ baby. The baby exposes the mom to Rh antigen during pregnancy. This first baby is delivered and is ok. Figure (b) between pregnancies, the mother is exposed to the foreign antigen Rh and she makes antibodies against Rh. She now has anti-D (anti-Rh) in her body. Figure (c) her second pregnancy with a Rh+ baby. On the next pregnancy that the mom has with a Rh+ baby. The mom has the anti-D (anti-Rh) antibody in her system. The antibody will attack the baby's RBCS with the Rh antigen on it. When the baby's RBC's are attacked the RBC will hemolyse (hemo=RBC; Lysis=cut). This will result in severe anemia. The lysed RBC will release high levels of bilirubin causing potential toxic brain syndrome. We have ways of preventing this from happening now. All Rh- mom's are given a shot at 26-28 weeks of pregnancy and with 72 hours of delivery. The RhoGAM will bind to the fetal RBC's Rh antigen and "cover" it up, so the mom's body does not t make anti-D antibody. Check your knowledge: 1) Which pregnancy should vou give mom the RhoGAM? Win? Every, because vou do not want the mom to make Anti-D 18-22