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Hearty - February 18th, 2011 2:32 AM

hi!

I thought it important that i start this thread as I had this condition when i was PG with Tom and there was very little information about it.

We all know the signs to look for with Pre Eclampsia but non of the baby books i was given explained about this.

This condition can be a threatening one to both the mother and baby if not treated correctly (please don't be scared).

I started with mild itching on my arms at about 30 weeks, my MW sent me for blood tests and it was OC.

Basically it is a blood/ liver disorder flow of bile is restricted as the liver is not fuctioning properly which leads to a build up of bile acids in the blood which is what causes the itching.
I was given steroids and various other pill and potions (15 a day in all!!) and monitered very closly and the delivered Jack at 37 weeks

The main signs to look for are ITCHINESS, TIREDNESS(i know we are more tired anyway!) and FEELING INCREASINGLY HOT

I thought it important to post this now as it could be confused with the warm weather and it would be better to be safe than sorry.


Monic - February 18th, 2011 3:04 AM

i want to share this idea to all of you guys..that 's why i give time to write here...coz i want explain to mothers about the Rhesus Negative as ive had it but never really understood until i read this leaflet

A Rhesus Negative Red Blood Cell is just the blood cell

A Rhesus Postive Red Blood Cell has proteins covering it

MOTHERS AND BABIES

sometime during pregnancy a small amount of the baby's blood crosses over into the mothers blood stream. There are a number of ways by which this can happen including normal delivery and c-section or when an amniocentisis is undertaken.

This is quite unusual and causes no harm because the mothers immune system recognises the baby's blood being different from her own and quickly cleans it out of her system.

To do this, the mothers immune system produces special proteins called antibodies. These attach themselves to the baby's red blood cells which are in her blood stream and destroy them. This immune response occurs in a similar way when any microbe or foreign body enters the circulation.

From then on .the immune system remebers that it has been in contact with the baby's red blood cells. So if the same situation occurs again the mothers immune system will be ready to act swiftly and eliminate them.

However, when a mother is a Rhesus Negative and is carrying a baby that is Rhesus Positive there is a small chance that a problem may arise.

Reasons why baby's blood can cross over into the mothers blood stream :
Amniocentisis
CVS
Injury to the abdomen
Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy
Miscarriage
Termination
Child Birth
C Section

GIVING BIRTH

A Rhesus Negative mother gives birth to a healthy Rhesus Positive baby, During birth the baby blood crosses over into the mothers bloodstream
the mothers immune system gradually responds a destroys the positive blood.

From now the mothers blood will always remember the positive blood cells

Suppose the mother came pregnant with her second child who again is rhesus positive. There is a real risk that the RhD factor anitibodies from the mother can cross the placenta and enter the baby's blood stream.

These antibodies which were produced in the first place to protect the mother, now have the ooposite effect on the baby. They can damage the babys red blood cells. If this were to happen , the bay can suffer a number of life threatening conditions, collectively knows as HDN = Haemolytic Disease of the Newborn.

PROTECTION FOR THE BABY

During pregnancy
When a Rhesus Negative mother is pregnant the hospital can inject a small amount of ready made antibodies at 28 wks and 34 wks of pregnancy.Then if any of the blood has entered the mother circulation during pregnancy the injected antibodies are there to remove the positive blood cells immediately. The injection is known by medical staff as Anti-D Anti-D Immunoglobulin is made from a part of the blood called plasma that is collected from donors. The production of anti-d is very strictly controlled to ensure that the chance of a known virus being passed from a donor to the person receiving the anti-d is very low it has been estimated to be 1in 10,000 billion doses

After Childbrith
Hospital will test the baby's blood after birth. If the baby is found to be positive and the mother is negative the mother will be given a dose of anti-djust incase any of the baby's blood had crossed over into her bloodstream just before birth. The injection will removed any of the positive red blood cells. If the mother who has had any of these injections of anti-d gets pregnant again there will be no danger to her baby since her own immune system has not produced anti-d antibodies which might cross over and harm her unborn baby.

Incidents During Pregnancy
Sometimes a rhesus negative pregnant woman may need to be given anti-d if there has been an incident during the pregnancy that may have caused a small bleed from the unborn baby into the mothers circulation e.g seat belt injury or vaginal bleeding. It is important that the mother reports any such incident to her midwife as soon as it happens

i hope this explains about RhD Factors and make some sense about being rhesus negative .


Burei - February 19th, 2011 2:40 PM

oh i just remember this itchiness when i was pregnant at almost 37 weeks that time.. but said by the doctor could be a factor of asthma history... after delivery those itchy has gone completely...


princess - February 19th, 2011 10:20 PM

i don't know what is obstetric cholestasis?


giftedbeauty - February 19th, 2011 10:59 PM

Obstetric cholestasis is an uncommon complication of pregnancy which causes a build up of bile acids in the bloodstream.


Godess@2011 - February 19th, 2011 11:09 PM

Obstetric cholestasis shouldn't harm you or your baby, but it may cause you to be unbearably itchy. in this case, this is very uncomfortable...


carmina - February 19th, 2011 11:33 PM

Obstetric cholestasis is a liver condition that only occurs in pregnancy. It is not known what causes it but it is believed to be related to the high levels of oestrogen that circulate in the blood stream during pregnancy. It is suggested that the oestrogen levels trigger a reduction in the flow of bile salts within the liver. This stagnation of flow or stasis results in an increase in the amounts of bile acids circulating in the blood which in turn creates the main symptom, which is itching of the skin. In some cases the amounts of bile acid in the blood stream can give rise to jaundice.


Soy.30 - February 20th, 2011 1:39 AM

The principle concern with the condition is the impact that high bile acid levels might have on the developing foetus. High levels of bile acid could affect the foetus resulting in premature delivery. In very rare instances obstetric cholestasis could result in stillbirth. Even though this sad outcome is rare any woman with cholestasis would continue to be monitored throughout the pregnancy in order to establish that the foetus was developing normally.


Melissa - February 20th, 2011 3:50 PM

What are the symptoms of Obstetric Cholestasis?


Miss.Junky - February 20th, 2011 4:11 PM

The most prominent symptom is itching. This usually affects the arms, hands, legs and feet. The itching usually disappears within a couple of weeks of the actual delivery and does not have any long-term effect on the mother's health.


Depoo - February 20th, 2011 4:41 PM

Miss.junky is right!

In a normal pregnancy itching is quite common. However, with obstetric cholestasis the itching is usually confined to the limbs and is frequently worse at night. This can give rise to an ongoing disturbance of sleep, which can result in exhaustion for the mother. In some cases the high levels of bile acids may make some women feel generally unwell. Some may also feel nauseous and lose their appetite.


preciouswoman - February 20th, 2011 5:14 PM

can i ask if how is it detected? i'm very curios..thanks!


Maragirl - February 20th, 2011 5:31 PM

Cholestasis can be detected by a blood test. The usual tests that are performed are a measurement of liver enzymes and bile acids. The liver enzymes indicate that actual damage to the liver cells has taken place but this is not a common outcome. Any elevation of liver enzymes usually reverses itself after the delivery.


Betsky - February 20th, 2011 5:39 PM

The most important test is the measurement of serum bile acid. This may be elevated without the liver enzymes being affected. It is usually measured every few weeks to monitor trends and detect if the level is rising, falling or stabilising.


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