HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Chronicle (Levin), 3 April 1946, Page 3

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

THE RH FACTOR. (By the Department of Health.) • Tliis last war, through the medical examination oi the i'orces, made blood groupiug cominon knowledge. Everybody in the eombatant forces was typed, and knew to which group he beJonged. Blood is mude up of fluid, or pla-sma, which cireulates round the body, and the red and wliite cells or corpuscles which are carried by it. Blood groups are the tvpes people fall into according to the eomposition of these cells in tlieir blood. There are four inain blood groups which are ink'erited accordiug to well recognised laws. In 1940 a new discovery was made. There was an additional factor in the red blood cells, which \yas also inherited and this could turn uj» in any red cells irrespective of the group to which they belonged. A particular type of monkey, the lthesus monkey, ahvays had this factor in the red cells. Hence the name the Rh factor. About 85 per cent of us liave this Rli factor in our blood cells and are dubbed Rh positive. About 15 per cent human beiugs lack it and are known as Rh negative. All is well unless an Rh negative wonian has a baby by an Rh positive father. The baby may develop a fatal anaeinia. We have previously put these deaths down as still births or neonatal deaths. The discovery of tho Rh factor makes it po.ssible to save these Jives. A translusion with Rh negative blood saves the babv, and the mother, too, sliould she get into any pbstetric trouble. The babies are almost ahvays Rh positive ancl before they are born the red cells pass froni the boby into the mother 's circulation, where antibodies pass back to the baby, destroy the positive red cells, and cause anaemia. A transfusion with Rh negative cells overcomes the antibodies, and the baby lives. If you happen to belong to blood group O, Rh negative type, you will be in demand for this latest kind. of transfusion service — a little miracle of applied medical science.