Which of the following statements about Rh incompatibility is true?
A) Rh incompatibility occurs most commonly during a woman's first pregnancy.
B) Rh incompatibility is an untreatable condition that leaves a woman infertile for the rest of her life.
C) Rh incompatibility is an abnormality that is transmitted from generation to generation and carried by a sex chromosome.
D) Rh incompatibility occurs due to antibodies transmitted to a fetus during subsequent deliveries causing brain damage or death.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Rh incompatibility can lead to problems in subsequent pregnancies when an Rh-negative mother has developed antibodies against Rh-positive blood. These antibodies can cross the placenta and attack the Rh-positive cells of the fetus, potentially leading to hemolytic disease of the newborn, which can cause brain damage or death in severe cases. This condition does not occur most commonly during a woman's first pregnancy (A) because the mother typically becomes sensitized to Rh-positive blood during that pregnancy and problems usually arise in later pregnancies. It is not untreatable or inevitably leading to infertility (B), as there are treatments such as Rho(D) immune globulin injections that can prevent the mother from developing antibodies. Lastly, it is not a condition transmitted by a sex chromosome or from generation to generation in the manner described (C); rather, it is a condition that arises from the incompatibility between the Rh blood types of the mother and fetus.

Which of the Following Statements About Rh Incompatibility Is True