Pregnancy

The Woman During Pregnancy: Possible Problems and Complications

The Rh Factor
The Rh factor (short for Rhesus factor) is an antigen present in the blood of most people. These people are therefore called Rh positive. A problem arises when a woman with Rh negative blood becomes pregnant by an Rh positive man. In this case, the fetus may also be Rh positive. The woman's body may react to this situation by producing antibodies which could harm the fetus. In the case of a first pregnancy, this is usually not much of a problem, although later pregnancies can be adversely affected. Still, such conditions can be controlled by modern medical measures.