Rh factor incompatibility is a leading cause of infertility and marital issues in Sub-Saharan Africa. If a Rh- woman is pregnant by a Rh+ man, it can cause problems as the baby inherits the Rh+ factor from the father. During childbirth, the Rh+ baby's blood can enter the Rh- mother's bloodstream and cause her body to develop antibodies against the Rh+ factor. These antibodies will attack and end any subsequent Rh+ pregnancies. To prevent this, Rh- mothers are given an immunoglobulin G injection during and after their first pregnancy to prevent antibody formation and protect future Rh+ pregnancies. Knowing one's Rh factor is important for family planning and healthy pregnancies.

1. “RHESUS FACTOR INCOMPATIBILITY; A
LEADING CAUSE OF BARRENESS
AND BROKEN MARRIAGE IN
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA”
A SEMINAR PRESENTED
BY
FAMUSIWA, Courage Dele
(B.tech, M.tech, PhD (in view))
@
SKYLINE UNIVERSIYTY NIGERIA,
KANO CITY

6. What is blood?

9. Blood Grouping

12. Rhesus Factor is an antigen that
exists on the surface of red blood
cells in most people (about 85% of
humans).
It is the “+” or “-” sign in front of a
blood group. e.g. A+, O+, B+, A–, O–
or AB–
Rhesus Factor is genetic in nature
as it is inherited from the parents,
emphatically the father
HOW DOES RHESUS FACTOR
COME TO PLAY ?

14. RHESUS FACTOR INCOMPATIBILITY?
If a Rh– woman is impregnated by a man
with Rh–, there wouldn’t be any problem.
However, if a Rh– woman is impregnated by
a man with Rh+, there would be a problem
as the baby inherits Rh+ from the father.
Hence, there will be series of miscarriages
thereafter. This is medically called Rhesus
Factor Incompatibility.

17. During child birth, once the baby’s Rh+ comes in
contact with the woman Rh- during her first
delivery, the antibodies are immediately
activated by the woman’s body’s immune
system.
The activated antibodies would see the new
Rh+ as foreign body or a threat and
consequently they would be at alert to attack and
get rid of the foreign body.
Unfortunately as such, after this particular child
birth, the woman would keep having
miscarriages because the activated antibodies
would see subsequent Rh+ pregnancies as
foreign bodies and would keep fighting and
taking them off.

18. HOW TO PREVENT THIS DISASTER
In order to prevent this disastrous medical
condition, the mother is injected with
IMMUNOGLOBULIN-G ANTI-(RHO-D) during and
after her first pregnancy
 This prevents rhesus sensitization by preventing
the mother from producing antibodies against
rho-positive antigens
The injection is administered 28 weeks into
pregnancy and 72 hours after delivery.

21. FUNCTIONS OF IMMUNOGLOBULIN G (ANTI-RHO)-D
It prevent the mother from developing the deadly antibody in any case of blood cross-
mixing between the mother and the fetus during the first pregnancy
It also prevents the baby from being attacked by the formed deadly antibody in the
mother during the second pregnancy

22. Know your RHESUS FACTOR!!!