The story of our Rh disease begins with
blood. Everyone on earth can be divided
into one of four major blood groups, but
there's another category that differentiates us.
Rh. Most people have a
protein on the red blood cells called
the rhesus factor these people are Rh
positive, but a small percentage of the
global population is missing this
protein making them Rh negative.
These two blood groups are incompatible, that
means that if they mix, deadly
reactions can occur. That's why it's
dangerous when an Rh negative woman
becomes pregnant with an Rh positive
baby. If the baby's red blood cells get
into the mother's blood stream, our
immune system will consider them foreign
invaders and create antibodies to
destroy them. These antibodies can also
cross the placenta and attack the fetus
with terrible consequences like
permanent brain damage and even death.
This immune reaction begins during a
mother's first pregnancy, but is only
completed after the baby is born.
That's why first babies are typically spared
from Rh disease, they're already
born by the time the mother's immune
system has time to react. But an immune
system never forgets leaving all future
Rh positive babies at risk of getting Rh disease.
Rh disease was once a major
killer but in the 1960s scientists
discovered a cure by essentially hacking
the immune system with the help of human donors.
They obtained the same antibodies
that were hurting babies and turn them
into a life-saving injection that helps
prevent the disease. This injection is
given to women before and after delivery,
providing an antibody dose that is too
small to hurt the baby
but potent enough to prevent the
mother's immune system from reacting.
It's as though these antibodies help mask the
fetuses red blood cells,
making them invisible to the mothers
immune system. Today Rh disease is
virtually eradicated in wealthy nations
like Canada where the injection has
become routine for at-risk pregnancies.
This cure only works if women can access
an injection through an adequate health
care system in much of the world this is
still out of reach for many women making
the death and devastation of Rh
disease a modern reality.
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