RhoGAM: Opinions on Need at 28 Weeks
I'm 29 weeks pregnant and Rh-negative; my husband Rh-positive. I live in Norway, but during my trip home to the U.S., a doctor advised me to have a RhoGAM injection at 28 weeks. My doctor in Norway says there is no need to give RhoGAM during the first pregnancy because I will get it within 48 hours after delivery if the baby tests positive. Please clarify.
Question:Peg Plumbo CNM
Peg Plumbo has been a certified nurse-midwife (CNM) since 1976. She has assisted at over 1,000 births and currently teaches in the... Read more
Within the past 10 years or so, more data have indicated that when providers administer RhoGAM at 28 weeks and again after the birth (if the baby is Rh positive), the rate of Rh hemolytic disease of the newborn is cut to almost nothing. About two percent of Rh negative women still become immunized against their baby's blood despite RhoGAM administration after their last birth. With RhoGAM at 28 weeks, the rate is now seven-tenths of a percent.
I believe that the U.S. recommendations will become the norm some day, but for now, you are still at a low risk if you receive the injection after birth or with any procedures prenatally or bleeding episodes.
I hope this helps clear up the confusion. Thanks for writing.
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