Did I have failed pregnancy due to the negative Rh factor?

Q: I recently found that I am 7 weeks pregnant. My Rh factor is negative. I am aware of the injection I am supposed to take. But I am concerned about my past pregnancies. I have had 2 abortions and a miscarriage Can it affect this pregnancy as well?

A:If your husband is Rh positive then there is a point of concern, especially if you have not taken the Anti-D injection previously after your 2 abortions and miscarriage. I guess those previous pregnancies were from your current husband? However, if your husband is also Rh negative then there is no problem due to the Rh factor. If your husband is Rh positive you need to undergo an Indirect Coombs test (blood test), and if positive the antibody titre needs to be estimated - this test will give a good idea whether or not you have developed antibodies to the Rh positive red blood cells, which can harm your baby if the baby you are carrying is Rh positive. These days one can also test whether or not your Rh positive husband is homozygous or heterozygous. If he is heterozygous there is a 50% chance your baby will be Rh negative and no need to worry. Also, some special centres are doing Chorionic villous sampling (CVS) around 10 weeks to determine whether or not the baby is Rh positive or Rh negative. However, the CVS procedure itself carries a 3- 5% abortion risk. So you have to weigh the pros and cons of resorting to this.