Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Determining the Rh Factor Based on Available Information
• Part 2 of 2: Blood Type Testing

Everyone should know their blood type, especially if you want to get pregnant or you often get blood transfusions. In the ABO system, blood types are divided into A, B, AB and O. Blood also has a Rh factor (Rh), which can be positive (Rh +) or negative (Rh-). Blood type and Rh factor are inherited from parents. To determine the Rh factor, find out what Rh factor your parents have or take a blood test.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Determining the Rh Factor Based on Available Information

1. 1 Find out what determines the Rh factor. The Rh factor is a protein that you may or may not have received from your parents and is found in red blood cells. If you have this protein, then your Rh is positive, if you do not have it, you are negative.
   • People with Rh positive blood type are also positive (A +, B +, AB +, or O +). People who are Rh negative have a negative blood type (A-, B-, AB-, or O-).
   • Most people are Rh positive.
2. 2 Take a look at your medical record. It is likely that during some kind of blood test you may have been tested for the Rh factor as well. Check with your healthcare professional to see if your blood type has been recorded. If you have regular transfusions or are a blood donor yourself, your blood type is most likely in the system.
   • If you are Rh positive, you may receive transfusions from Rh + and Rh- negative (Rh-) donors. If you are Rh negative, you can only receive blood transfusions with Rh-. Exceptions are emergencies and life-threatening situations requiring Rh positive blood transfusions.
3. 3 Find out what is the Rh factor of the parents. Ask your parents what their Rh factor is. Your Rh factor can be determined by analyzing the Rh factor of your parents. If both parents have negative Rh factor, then you will most likely have negative Rh factor too (but there may be exceptions). If your mother has a negative Rh factor, and your father has a positive (or vice versa), then you can have it both positive and negative. In this case, you need to donate blood for analysis at a local clinic or blood transfusion station. It is worth noting that the presence of a positive Rh factor in both parents does not guarantee that you will have it too.
   • Since people with a positive blood type can have two Rh positive genes (Rh + / Rh +) or one positive and one negative (Rh + / Rh-), there are times when both Rh positive parents have a negative baby.

Part 2 of 2: Blood Type Testing

1. 1 Ask your doctor for a blood typing test. If your parents have a different Rh factor (or both of them are positive and you want to make sure that you are also positive), donate blood for analysis to determine the group. This outpatient procedure is quick and almost painless. After it, you can safely return home.
2. 2 Donate blood for analysis. The nurse or doctor will wipe the area on the inside of your elbow or wrist with an antiseptic gauze pad. Then he / she will find a vein in the arm. To make the veins on the arm swell, they will tie it up with a tourniquet above the elbow, and then insert a needle into the vein. The needle will be put on the syringe, with which the doctor will take the blood. When you have drawn a sufficient amount of blood, the doctor will take out the needle and give you a cotton swab to hold against the injection site.After that, the injection site will be sealed with a plaster. The nurse will then tag your sample and send it to the lab for analysis.
   • In children, blood is taken from the back of the hand.
   • If you start to faint, tell your doctor. He will help you lie down.
   • When the nurse inserts the needle, you will feel a stabbing, burning sensation, and mild pain. After taking blood, a bruise may appear at the injection site. The pain itself will soon pass.
3. 3 Check your blood test results. In the laboratory, a specialist will analyze your sample for Rh factor. It will mix your blood with an anti-rhesus serum. If your cells clot, then you have a positive Rh factor. If they do not curl up, the Rh factor is negative.
   • At the same time, the laboratory can carry out an analysis to determine the blood group.
4. 4 The blood type is very important. Record your blood type in a safe place and share this information with all emergency contacts. This information will come in handy in case of urgent need for blood transfusion or organ transplant. In addition, if you are pregnant or just planning to become pregnant, you should definitely know your Rh factor.
5. 5 Beware of the risks associated with pregnancy. If you are Rh negative, find out your partner's Rh factor. If you have a negative Rh factor, and he has a positive one, then Rh incompatibility is possible. If your baby inherits a Rh-positive father, your antibodies can attack the baby's red blood cells. This can lead to severe anemia and even death of the child.
   • If you are pregnant and have a negative Rh factor, have a blood test to see if your body is making antibodies against Rh positive blood. The first blood test should be done in the first trimester, and the second at 28 weeks of gestation. If antibodies have not started to develop, the mothers will receive an injection of anti-rhesus immunoglobulin. This shot will prevent your body from producing antibodies that are harmful to your baby.
   • If the body has produced antibodies against Rh positive blood, it will be too late for the injection of immunoglobulin. Instead, the doctor will begin to closely monitor the child's developmental status. Your baby will receive a blood transfusion before or after birth.
   • When the baby is born, doctors will check his Rh factor. If your child has the same Rh factor as yours, there will be no need for further treatment. If you have a negative Rh factor and your child is positive, you will be given another shot of immunoglobulin.