explaination of RhoGAM

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm preparing for the NCLEX RN and its taking me a bit long to understand the reason for administering RhoGAM....I just don't get it?? Can anyone give me a quick run down of the entire process?? Thanks in advance

Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.

This is how I understand it, because I've had to get Rhogam a few times! I am A- blood type. Whenever the mom is a negeative blood type, she is given Rhogam before delivery and after to keep her blood cells from "attacking" the foreign baby who is probably a different blood type...my kids were all A or O + blood type.

That's what I know about it in a simple nutshell. It also prevents ABO incompatibility problems such as jaundice, etc.

mom is only given rhogam after birth if baby is positive if baby is negative mom isn't given rhogam after birth. All negative moms will be given rhogam before birth at about 28 weeks. What entire process are you wondering about?

Ok so what's sensitization? And what does that have to do with "attacking" please keep this coming ..I think I'm getting it oh and thanks for ur quick response

if Rh- mom has an Rh+ baby, some of the Rh+ antigens cross over to mom. mom then develops Rh+ antibodies. if mom has another Rh+ baby later in life, her body's immune system will recognize baby's blood as foreign and begin attacking it. this is bad.

RhoGAM prevents mom from developing Rh antibodies.

Specializes in Hospice, Critical Care.

And it's also used to treat idiopathic thrombocytopenia (immune-response mediated). Don't ask me for details though! I only know that because the hematologist wants to use it on my sister.

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