There are many types of blood; however, the most important ones are ABO and Rhesus
factor. While a person is said to be Rh +ve or Rh –ve based on the presence or absence
of the Rhesus factor respectively, the ABO grouping has four types of blood, namely
A, B, AB, and O, depending upon the absence or presence of Anti-A and/or Anti-B
antibodies. Thus, a person whose blood group is O Rh –ve can donate blood to practically
anyone in an emergency and is hence known as a universal donor, whereas someone
who is AB Rh +ve can receive blood from anyone and is therefore called a universal
recipient. This information is vital in order to prevent adverse reactions due to
incompatible blood transfusions.
Rh incompatibility occurs during pregnancy when the mother is Rh –ve and the fetus
is Rh +ve. Usually, the first pregnancy goes unaffected unless mixing of maternal
and fetal blood takes place. Subsequent pregnancies can definitely more risky with
higher levels of complications in the fetus and even intrauterine death.
Read More »