Rh factor incompatibility can produce?

UPPSC-2021

Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Easy

Appeared in: UPPSC-2021

Explanation

Rh incompatibility arises when an Rh-negative mother carries an Rh-positive fetus, with the Rh factor inherited from the father.
During a sensitizing event (like childbirth), the mother's immune system can produce IgG antibodies against the fetal Rh antigen.
In a subsequent Rh-positive pregnancy, these maternal IgG antibodies cross the placenta and attack the fetal red blood cells, causing hemolysis.
This condition is known as Erythroblastosis Fetalis or Hemolytic Disease of the Fetus and Newborn (HDFN), characterized by fetal anemia, jaundice, and potentially hydrops fetalis.

Option A: AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is a condition caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), an infectious retrovirus. It is not an autoimmune or isoimmune condition related to blood type incompatibility.
Option B: Sickle cell anemia is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder. It is caused by a mutation in the gene for hemoglobin, leading to abnormally shaped red blood cells. It is inherited, not acquired through maternal-fetal immune reactions.
Option D: Turner's syndrome is a chromosomal disorder in which a female is born with only one X chromosome (45,X0). It is a genetic condition and has no connection to Rh factor incompatibility.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Complications of Rh incompatibility during pregnancy as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses are responsible for ensuring all pregnant women have their blood type and Rh status checked at the first prenatal visit.
A critical nursing intervention is the timely administration of Rho(D) immune globulin to Rh-negative mothers at 28 weeks gestation, after any potential sensitizing event (e.g., amniocentesis, vaginal bleeding), and within 72 hours of delivering an Rh-positive baby.
Postpartum, nurses must monitor the Rh-positive newborn of an Rh-negative mother for signs of jaundice and anemia, reporting any abnormalities promptly.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key concept in the question stem: 'Rh factor incompatibility'.
Recall the definition of Rh incompatibility: a condition that occurs when an Rh-negative mother is pregnant with an Rh-positive fetus.
Think about the immunological process involved: the mother's body creates antibodies against the fetus's Rh-positive red blood cells.
Evaluate each option to see which one is a direct consequence of this immune-mediated destruction of fetal red blood cells.
Eliminate options based on their known causes: AIDS is viral, Sickle cell anemia is genetic, and Turner's syndrome is chromosomal.
Recognize that Erythroblastosis fetalis is the specific medical term for the hemolytic disease in the fetus caused by this maternal-fetal blood group incompatibility.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Physiology Essentials Sembulingam 10e Part 1 p. 150-152

E6 Obstetrics Williams p. 44-62