Rh factor, or Rhesus factor, is a protein found on red blood cells. When a mother-to-be and father-to-be are not both positive or negative for Rh factor, it’s called Rh incompatibility.
Research shows that blood types
can only predict marriage compatibility if there are possible Rh factor differences during pregnancy.
If an Rh-negative female marries an Rh-positive male, there is a possibility they will have an Rh-positive baby. This can lead to Rh isoimmunization, which means during the baby’s development in the womb, baby’s blood might enter mother’s body.
During pregnancy, red blood cells from the unborn baby can cross into the mother’s blood through the placenta. The mother’s immune system treats Rh-positive fetal cells as if they were a foreign substance and makes antibodies against the fetal blood cells.
Symptoms of Rh disease in babies include:
Yellow coloring of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice)
Pale-coloring because of anemia
Fast heart rate (tachycardia)
Fast breathing (tachypnea)
Lack of energy
Swelling under the skin
Large abdomen