Dr. Marjorie Greenfield
Specializing in pregnancy and birth.
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 Ask Dr. Greenfield
When to Give Rhogam | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Greenfield,
Would it be bad for my baby if the doctor did not give me my Rhogam shot until my 35th week?
— Tracy in Collinsville, Il | | | ANSWER |
July 18, 2001 | | | Dear Tracy,
It is only about a decade ago that we started to give Rhogam during pregnancy--we used to just give it after the birth, unless there was some reason to think that there was some mixing of fetal and maternal blood earlier in pregnancy. With that protocol, most Rh problems were prevented.
But some mothers, it turned out, were exposed to fetal blood before the birth, and those moms started to make antibodies against the baby's blood type. This did not harm the current pregnancy, but put the woman's future pregnancies at risk of complications. So experts started to recommend giving the Rhogam once in the early third trimester to see if the occasional third trimester sensitization could be prevented. This extra dose is probably unnecessary for most pregnancies but may save some mothers from becoming sensitized.
Here is the bottom line for you--every time we give Rhogam, we check the blood to see if the mother has already developed anti-Rh antibodies. If the test you had the day you got the Rhogam at 35 weeks did not show antibodies, you should be home free!— by Marjorie Greenfield, M.D. |
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