Where is a rhogam injection administered

Here's how it works. Early in your pregnancy, you'll take a blood test to determine whether you are Rh-positive or Rh-negative. Rh, or rhesus, is a protein that rides along on the surface of the red blood cells of about 85 percent of people. If the protein is found on your red blood cells, you are Rh-positive—and if it's not there, you're Rh-negative.

The presence or absence of the rhesus protein really only matters when you're pregnant with your second or subsequent child. Keep reading to learn the reason, and figure out what to expect if you need a RhoGAM shot.

Think of antibodies as little warrior cells who go off to do battle against invading forces. Any time you are exposed to an antigen, your body produces antibodies specific to that antigen, so if it attacks again, your immune system is ready to fight it off. This is why your Rh factor isn't an issue during first pregnancies. It isn't until second and subsequent pregnancies, when antibodies are already built up, that Rh incompatibility can cause problems. Indeed, these antibodies can cross the placenta and attack your baby's red blood cells.

We can determine the Rh incompatibility by taking blood samples and testing them. Rh incompatibility is not a problem during your first pregnancy. But once your immune system starts to resp ond, there is a risk of hemolytic disease for future Rh-positive fetuses. It is a serious condition that may cause jaundice, amenia, brain damage, or even heart failure.

The production of antibodies can cause problems during pregna ncy. Therefore, surrogates should get a RhoGAM injection. It is a common treatment and injected into soft tissue or muscle, often in the backside.

It is up to the doctor to decide on the best methods to administer this injection and how much the dose should be. Once the shot is administered it will remain effective for about 13 weeks. This treatment helps to overcome the problems, and you need frequent blood tests to monitor Rh levels through the pregnancy.

It is possible that a small amount of the baby's blood might enter the mother's bloodstream. It can result in blood mismatch and cause problems. The immune system treats the baby's blood cells as foreign and starts producing antibodies to eliminate them. As long as the mother with Rh-negative gets RhoGAM shot appropriately during the pregnancy, there is a low risk of developing hemolytic diseases.

If you determine that you and your baby have Rh incompatibility , you need to get a RhoGAM shot at 28 weeks of pregnancy. The body of the woman starts making antibodies against these cells. Rh injection during the 26 to 28 weeks prevents the body from developing antibodies. It is also necessary to inject a RhoGAM shot within 72 hours of delivery to prevent the risks that could affec t a future pregnancy.

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Getty Images. Learn more about what this shot is and if and when you might need it when pregnant. Back to Top. In This Article. ITP is a type of blood disorder where the person has a very low number of platelets. Platelets help to clot the blood. Rho D immune globulin is also used to prevent antibodies from forming after a person with Rh-negative blood receives a transfusion with Rh-positive blood, or during pregnancy when a mother has Rh-negative blood and the baby is Rh-positive. It belongs to a group of medicines called immunizing agents.

Rho D immune globulin works to boost the immune system and prevent excessive bleeding. The Rh factor is one part of the red blood cell. A person has either Rh-positive or Rh-negative blood. If you receive the opposite type of blood, your body will create antibodies that can destroy the red blood cells.