Rhesus incompatibility of spouses. Incompatibility between partners during conception: causes and treatment

Blood group compatibility

When planning the birth of a child, parents are required to take into account blood type compatibility in order to avoid complications. When a fetus is born, maternal and paternal blood mixes. This is how the baby's blood is formed. The baby can have any blood type, since at conception four groups are formed simultaneously, but in different percentages. The largest percentage comes from the parents' blood. Therefore, the child will have the blood type of either the father or the mother. When the parents have the same blood type, then in most cases (95-98%) the child will have the same blood type. When parents have different blood types, the baby has a 25% chance of inheriting one of them. Thus, a child can have both I, and II, and III, and IV blood groups. It is believed that the healthier child is the one whose father’s blood type is higher than that of the mother. The higher the blood type of the future dad, the better it is for the baby. Be that as it may, if the parents have the same blood type, pregnancy is safe.

Rh factor is...

The Rh factor is a special protein that is located on the surface of red blood cells: if such a protein is present, then the Rh factor is positive, but if it is not, then the Rh factor is negative.

If a woman’s blood Rh factor is negative, then, ideally, it should also be negative in a man.
If a woman’s is positive, then for the benefit of the unborn child, it is desirable that the man’s be positive as well.

Note to future mothers and fathers: in 99% of cases, the baby inherits the maternal group and Rh blood type. In turn, problems arise at conception, during pregnancy, and even after the birth of the baby if the rhesus of the mother’s blood differs from the rhesus of the father’s blood. In addition, the baby’s inheritance of a non-maternal blood type and Rh factor is fraught with problems. If these values do not coincide for future parents, then before conception it is highly desirable, and sometimes even mandatory, special therapy to prevent rejection of the fetus by the mother’s body. That is why before conceiving a baby (especially before your first pregnancy), you must undergo tests to determine the blood type and Rh factor of the future parents. Thus, the same blood type in future parents is not an obstacle to a healthy pregnancy.

What tests are taken?

If signs of infertility occur, partners are prescribed a comprehensive examination. Women are prescribed the following tests and studies:

General blood analysis. Determines the level of hemoglobin, which is responsible for the development of iron deficiency anemia. Pathology affects the intrauterine development of the fetus. The platelet level is responsible for blood clotting. White blood cells indicate the presence of infection. The main indicator of the inflammatory process is ESR.
Blood chemistry. Determines metabolic processes in the body, the absorption of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals. Helps determine the presence of pathology of the digestive system.
Coagulogram. Conducted to determine blood clotting to prevent bleeding during pregnancy. Often occur in the first trimester and cause miscarriage.
General urine analysis. Determines inflammation and infection in the genitourinary system.
Blood test for sugar levels. Initial diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. The presence of pathology affects pregnancy and its planning.
Blood group and Rh factor. Carried out to prevent the risk of developing hemolytic disease in the fetus.
Colposcopy. Examination of the cervix and vagina in women.
Ultrasound diagnostics of the pelvic organs.

Tests for men:

Analysis for sexually transmitted infections. A scraping is taken from the urethral mucosa to detect chlamydia, trichomonas, gonococci, herpes virus and papilloma, ureaplasma, toxoplasma, Epstein-Barr.
Spermogram. The condition of spermatozoa, their concentration, quantity, and mobility are determined. The function of the prostate gland and testicles is indicated.
General blood and urine analysis. Determines inflammatory processes and the presence of infection in the body.
Blood chemistry. Displays the functionality of the liver, digestive system, kidneys.
Blood group and Rh factor. It is carried out to exclude Rh conflict.
Analysis for the presence of hepatitis C and B, HIV and AIDS.
Hormonal panel. Levels of testosterone, insulin, gonadotropin.
Ultrasound and ECG.

How to get pregnant: parental compatibility

About 15% of couples when planning a pregnancy may face the problem of incompatibility. If you are just thinking about having a child, it is important to undergo all examinations before becoming pregnant. The main factors of incompatibility may be blood type and its Rh, immune response or genetic predisposition.

For example, with a Rhesus conflict, the mother’s body tries to get rid of a foreign body, that is, a growing baby. And, if this is not noticed in time and not warned, the pregnancy may be terminated. The same can happen if the parents are incompatible at the immunological level.

A woman’s immune system can produce antibodies that kill the sperm of the very man she wants to be the father of her child. This is a kind of allergic reaction to the sperm of a particular man. The expectant mother produces antisperm antibodies in excess quantities. The catch in determining incompatibility is also that such antibodies can be produced in the body of the man himself.

This does not mean at all that you will not be able to get pregnant, but the chances of keeping the baby are not very high. What complicates the situation is that this type of incompatibility is accompanied by certain diseases of the woman’s reproductive system.

To eliminate the possibility of such incompatibility after conception, you should take an immunological compatibility test in advance.

Blood group incompatibility

Rhesus conflict in future parents can only occur if the mother’s blood is Rh-negative and the father’s is Rh-positive.

During conception, the parents' blood mixes and forms the composition of the baby's blood. The baby can have any blood type, since at the birth of the fetus four blood groups are formed simultaneously, but in different percentages. The blood of mother and father predominates in the child's body.

If both parents have the same blood type, then in 95-98% of cases the baby will inherit it. When mom and dad have different blood groups, the probability that the child will get one of them is 25%. With equal success, a baby can become the owner of I, II, III, and IV blood groups. In 99% of cases, the child inherits the mother's blood type and Rh factor.

It is believed that the healthier child will be the one whose father's blood type is higher than that of the mother. For example, it will be better for the future offspring if you have blood type I, and your husband has any other; if you have group III, then it would be better for the man to have IV. Pregnancy with the same blood type is considered safe.

Rh factor incompatibility

If a couple has different Rh factors, then there is a possibility that the woman’s body will begin to reject the growing baby as if it were a foreign body. But, unlike the immunological factor, with such incompatibility of partners, it is quite possible to bear and give birth to a child. The main thing is regular consultations with a gynecologist.

It is important to know that Rh conflict can only appear if the mother’s blood is Rh negative and the father’s blood is Rh positive.

The risk only increases during childbirth, when the father's blood enters the mother's blood and the woman's immune system begins to produce antibodies directed against the man's Rh-positive blood. But doctors have already learned to cope with this problem.

Problems of Rh factor incompatibility may arise when planning a second baby. There will be no problems with conception, but a favorable course and outcome of the pregnancy is unlikely. To save it you will need to make a lot of effort. But! With a strong desire, everything is possible, so don’t get upset in advance.

To avoid unpleasant surprises, it is better to donate blood to determine the Rh factor at the stage of planning a child.

Genetics

As a rule, those spouses who have already passed all other medical examinations and are absolutely healthy by all indicators are tested for genetic compatibility. People seek help from such an analysis when pregnancy either does not occur or the expectant mother cannot safely carry the baby to term.

All cells in our body contain a protein on their surface called HLA (human leukocyte antigen). In a healthy body, these proteins recognize foreign substances and send a signal to the immune system to produce antibodies. They also recognize pregnancy as an alien invasion. Usually, after conception, the mother’s body produces blocking antigens that protect the placenta and baby from rejection.

When the father's HLA is too similar to the mother's HLA, the pregnant woman's body will not produce blocking antibodies. In this case, the baby and placenta remain unprotected. If two or more HLA proteins match, then the likelihood of problems with pregnancy and child development is quite high.

Unfortunately, even the healthiest couples can experience incompatibility. But can this be a hindrance to two loving people who so want a baby? Moreover, modern medicine is constantly moving forward!

Don't be afraid to become the most loving and beloved parents: nothing in the world compares to the feelings and sensations that parenthood gives.

Signs and identification of genetic incompatibility of spouses

The diagnosis of “genetic incompatibility” is very rare in spouses who are not related. If the pregnancy is interrupted or a frozen pregnancy occurs, and the attending physician has not identified any infectious, immunological or other causes of the miscarriage, the couple should undergo a genetic consultation.

When testing for compatibility, blood is taken from a vein from a couple. Pure DNA is isolated from the venous blood of each spouse, which is subjected to in-depth analysis, after which it undergoes a comparative study. The analysis takes approximately two weeks.

Complete incompatibility is diagnosed extremely rarely, and, unfortunately, nothing can be done about it. Most often, partial incompatibility is recorded. Under the supervision of an experienced geneticist, there are ways to regulate it at all three stages: from planning to pregnancy.

One treatment option is medication. Depending on the individual situation of the couple, the spouses are sent for IVF or ICSI.

Pregnancy with the same blood type

A child can have any blood group, since at conception four groups are formed in it at once, but in different percentages. The largest percentage is the blood of the parents. Therefore, it is most likely that the baby will have the blood type of either the father or the mother. If the parents have the same blood type, in most cases, he will have the same blood type (95-98%). Although, there is a small chance that the baby will have a different blood type (2-5%). If mom and dad have different blood groups, then the chances of inheriting one of these groups are 25% for each blood group. That is, a child can be born with group I, group II, and group III or IV. It is also believed that a child whose father has a blood group higher than his mother will be healthier. The higher the future dad's blood type, the better for the child. In any case, pregnancy is safe if the parents have the same blood type.

For safe conception, it is important not what blood type the parents have, but what their Rh factor is. It is desirable that it matches. That is, the parents should not have the same blood type, but the same Rh factor. The Rh factor of the blood is a protein that is found on the top layer of red blood cells (erythrocytes). If such a protein is present on their surface, this means that the Rh factor is positive. If it is not there, then the Rh factor is negative. For successful conception, it is desirable that both the woman and the man have positive Rh factors. Or, conversely, both had negative ones. Problems with conception and pregnancy occur when the mother's Rh factor does not match the father's blood Rh factor.

Studies have shown that in 99% of cases the baby will inherit the mother's blood type and its Rh factor. But it happens that the child’s blood differs from the mother’s blood in all characteristics: it does not match either the group or the Rh factor. Then the baby will have health problems.

If the Rh factors do not match

When planning a child, it is necessary to undergo blood tests for both the man and the woman. The doctor must know what their blood groups are and what their Rh factors are. In the case when the value of the Rh factor in the blood of the future parents does not match, then therapy must be carried out before conception. It is needed so that after conception the mother’s body cannot reject the fetus. From all this we can conclude that parents having the same blood type is not an obstacle to a healthy pregnancy. Before deciding to conceive a child, it is advisable to check not only your feelings for strength, but also your state of health. Compatibility should be not only on a spiritual, but also on a physical level.

Blood group compatibility for conception

Married couples who decide to have offspring rarely think about the compatibility of blood groups for conception, especially if after their efforts they get a positive result. And only in case of constant failures comes the time to think about the reasons. One of these failures is the incompatibility of partners during conception. Incompatibility of spouses by blood type and Rh factor are non-existent concepts, because with any combination, pregnancy is possible. Another thing is that a combination of different blood groups and Rhesus types can complicate the course of pregnancy.

The main blood components that influence the course of pregnancy are blood type and Rh factor (Rh). The ideal blood compatibility when conceiving a child is the same blood groups and Rh factors of both spouses, but this is not common. The most dangerous thing for the unborn child is the incompatibility of Rh factors during conception.

The Rh factor is a protein (antigen) that is found on the surface of the red blood cell (erythrocyte), and people who have this antigen are called Rh-positive, and those who do not are called Rh-negative. If the mother is Rh negative, and the resulting embryo inherits Rh positive, then the maternal body will begin to produce antibodies against the embryo's red blood cells (fetal red blood cells easily penetrate the mother's body through the placental barrier).

Such incompatibility between mother and child can result in early miscarriage, intrauterine fetal death at a later date, or the development of hemolytic disease of the newborn. With hemolytic disease, the destruction of fetal red blood cells occurs, the appearance of anemia, enlargement of the liver and an increase in the level of bilirubin in the blood of the newborn.

Blood group incompatibility during pregnancy is much less common and manifests itself as mild hemolytic disease of the newborn.

If an Rh-negative woman is planning a pregnancy, she should check the level of antibodies in her blood to the Rh factor. After pregnancy, starting from the 7th week, every month you need to monitor the level of antibodies in the blood until the end of pregnancy. After childbirth, within 72 hours it is necessary to administer anti-Rhesus immunoglobulin, which prevents the formation of antibodies in the mother's body during the transfer of fetal blood during childbirth.

The reason for partner incompatibility can be determined using a fertility compatibility test called a postcoital test. This test is carried out during the ovulation phase if a number of requirements are met:

it is necessary to abstain from sexual activity for 3 days;
Before sexual intercourse, perform hygiene procedures, and do not douche before visiting a doctor;
do not get out of bed after sexual intercourse for 30 minutes, using a sanitary napkin to avoid loss of seminal fluid;
You should visit a gynecologist no earlier than 6 hours and no later than 12 hours after sexual intercourse.

To determine the compatibility of partners for conception, a sample of mucus is taken from the cervix, placed between two glass slides and examined under a microscope. Determine the consistency of mucus, crystallization, extensibility and pH of the environment.

If you are unsuccessful in trying to get pregnant, you should not despair, because modern medicine has a huge arsenal of means to help childless couples. Methods such as intrauterine insemination or in vitro fertilization will help infertile families solve the problem of incompatibility when conceiving a child and find the long-awaited baby.

What determines genetic compatibility?

HLA, or "human leucocyte antigens", are histocompatibility antigens. Sometimes a synonymous term is used - the major histological compatibility complex, or “major histocompatibility complex” (MHC). They are located on the surface of almost all cells in the body. Histocompatibility antigens are protein molecules.

Molecules of histocompatibility antigens act as unique “antennas” located on the surface of cells. They allow the body to recognize which cells are its own and which foreign cells (atypical cells, bacteria, viruses) and, if necessary, trigger an immune response that ensures the expression of specific antibodies and removes the foreign agent from the body.

The influence of blood type on conception.

Good afternoon Please tell me, does blood type affect the conception of a child? If it does, how? Is it possible to get pregnant if the partners have the same blood type and Rh? (My husband and I have blood group 3, Rhesus is also the same - positive) Svetlana

In answer to your question, I would like to immediately say that neither the blood type of the partners nor the Rh factor affects the likelihood of conception in any way. The possibility of conception largely depends on the health status of both women and men. The presence of various infectious and inflammatory diseases in the genitourinary system, diseases of the endocrine system, leading to hormonal disorders in the body, can have a negative impact. The likelihood of conception largely depends on the patency of the woman’s fallopian tubes, sperm motility, and their compatibility with the woman’s cervical mucus. There is also evidence on the Internet that representatives of the first blood group may experience difficulties conceiving more often than representatives of other blood groups.

Despite the fact that blood type and Rh factor do not affect conception in any way, it is advisable to find out the blood type and Rh factor of partners before pregnancy. This is due to the fact that in some cases problems may arise during pregnancy.

The first danger is associated with the possibility of developing Rh-conflict during pregnancy if a woman with Rh-negative blood is pregnant with an Rh-positive fetus. Since you have blood with a positive Rh factor, there is no threat of developing Rh conflict for you.

The second danger is associated with the development of a blood group conflict, when the blood types of the mother and child turn out to be incompatible. This situation can cause complications during pregnancy, but blood group conflict is not as common as Rh conflict, and its consequences are not as serious as the consequences of Rh conflict.

Blood group conflict can develop in cases where the group of the mother and child does not match. Thus, a blood group conflict can develop when the mother has the first or third blood group, and the unborn child has the second blood group, when the mother has the first or second blood group, and the unborn child has the third blood group, with any blood group in the mother and fourth blood group in the unborn child. The conflict over blood type occurs most severely in mothers with the first blood group and the second or third blood group in the unborn child.

However, during the normal course of pregnancy, the blood of the mother and child does not mix, so a blood type conflict does not arise in every situation when the blood types of the mother and child differ.

If you believe the law of blood inheritance AB0, then since you both have the third blood group, then with a greater degree of probability (sometimes the laws of genetics interfere with the inheritance of blood groups) you will have a child with either the third or the first blood group, then their children can only be group III or I. In this case, the likelihood of a blood type conflict developing is low.

If you decide to have the procedure

If both spouses mutually agree to conduct a compatibility test, you need to prepare for the fact that several such tests will be carried out in order to obtain a reliable result. Before conducting a compatibility test, it is advisable to measure your basal temperature for 3 months and record this data.

In this case, doctors at the Euromedprestige clinic will help the expectant mother accurately determine the time of ovulation and, therefore, the date of the test. You can track the timing of ovulation using ultrasound. If the test results in incompatibility, cross-sectional studies are carried out: the partner's cervical mucus and the donor's sperm, and vice versa, the partner's sperm and the donor's cervical mucus.

This clarifies whether the cause of the incompatibility is the woman’s immune reaction, or whether the problem lies in the sperm. In such situations, doctors recommend additional blood tests to determine the presence of antibodies to the husband’s sperm and their concentration. Also, spouses need an analysis for Rh factor compatibility to determine whether Rh conflict can develop during pregnancy - the woman’s immune reaction against the fetus.

Pregnancy with spouses having the same blood type

Many young spouses who have decided to conceive a child are interested in how important the blood type compatibility of parents is for this purpose.

According to gynecologists, the blood type of future parents is not as important as their Rh factor; it is desirable that it be the same. So, in order to avoid problems when conceiving and bearing a child, it is important that both partners have the same Rh factor value.

The Rh factor is a special protein that is located on the surface of red blood cells: if such a protein is present, then the Rh factor is positive, but if it is not, then the Rh factor is negative.

If a woman’s blood Rh factor is negative, then, ideally, it should also be negative in a man.
If a woman’s is positive, then for the benefit of the unborn child, it is desirable that the man’s be positive as well.