Rhogam

[Marcia2202]

To Meki ...

I have just been diagnosed with hep c and am of course like everyone else trying to find out how. I'm RH Neg and I did not know that Rhogam could give hep c. Could you please explain why. I had Rhogam injections 6 times, after 2 miscarriages and after giving birth, between 1981 and 1991. Thanks so much before hand.

[Marcia2202]

I have heard about that. All my 5 children were closely monitored after birth, because the doctors feared they might become jaundiced. Fortunately none of them did.

Here is some info I found:

Blood type. If your blood type is different from your baby's, your baby may have received antibodies through the placenta that cause his or her blood cells to break down more quickly.

Blood groups are determined according to whether you have certain protein molecules on the surface of your blood cells. The rhesus (Rh) factor is one of these blood groups. If you have the Rh factor in your blood cells, you're considered Rh positive. If you don't, you're Rh negative. There's nothing inherently wrong with being either Rh positive or Rh negative. But problems can arise when an Rh-negative woman is pregnant with an Rh-positive baby.

During pregnancy, fetal cells cross the placental barrier and mix with the mother's cells. If the mother's immune system detects the baby's opposing Rh factor, it produces antibodies against it. These antibodies then enter the baby's circulation through the placenta and umbilical cord and attach to the baby's red blood cells, causing them to break apart and release bilirubin.

To minimize the likelihood of problems, Rh-negative women receive injections of Rho (D) immune globulin (RhoGAM), which prevents the mother's body from producing unwanted antibodies during the pregnancy and immediately following birth.

and here is another link http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1220.asp

Hope it will answer your question. Marcia

[susan400]

I was never given Rhogam as an adult, but your post got me to thinking.  My parents had the opposing RH factors prior to my birth.  After my mom had my older sister, she had to be given the Rhogam shot.  Then, 8 years later, I came alot.  I was born jaundiced and more yellow than my sister.  She again got the Rhogam shot after my birth.  Then, 14 months later, my sister came along and she was even more yellow (jaundiced) than I was.  Again, Mom got the Rhogam shot.  At that point, the doctor told my Mom, no more babies!  Anyhow, it's just curious to me, that's all.

Susan

[Marcia2202]

Thanks for the info. You see, I didn't know that rhogam was made from blood. Then it makes perfect sense. I have done some reading, since I posted the question and do understand it now. I had all my children in Indonesia, where only 0.00001 % of the population was rh negative. You cannot imagine how difficult it was to get hold of the rhogam. We had to order it and have the pharmacy keep it. Then we had to pick it up either on the way to hospital or someone would pick it up for us. It had to be transported in ice, not to cold though and rushed throught the tropical heat and put in the hospital fridge. And then I had 2 friends of my Mom's (a Dutch lady and an American gentleman) actually waiting at the hospital when I ws giving birth, in case I would need a blood transfusion, as it was difficult to get rh neg blood. It makes me laugh to think back.  What a circus!  I had to have it every time, as all my kids are rh pos. During pregnancy the mother's and the child's blood do not mix. During the process of birth, a little of the child's blood enters the mother's blood stream. If the mother is RH neg, she will start producing antibodies to attack the positive blood. Rhogam has to be administered within 48 hours, to prevent the mother's blood from producing them. If not, the antibodies will attack a consequent pregnancy, if the fetus is rh pos. And one can have a miscarriage, if enough antibodies have been produced. Fortunately I had a shot after my first miscarriage. The miscarriage had nothing to do with the rh factor. I had five healthy kids after that. with another miscarriage in between, which was neither rh related.  I actually might still have the rhogam vial of my first born, you know how one keeps all kind of things with the first :-) Maybe one would be able to test the residues in the vial, they are 24 yrs old, so maybe not. I think I will leave it at that. thanks for everything. I find this forum very interesting. It seems that you are giving each other a lot of support. Hope I will be able to do the same.

[meki]

I was infected AFTER 1995 --- which amazes me.

Anyhow - rhogam is made from lots of other people's blood products.

When an RH Neg factor female gets pregnant and the child is RHPos... It can cause (and usually does) miscarriages. The RH factor is created by combining multiple blood products and spinning it down... I'll have to get a better reference then that - but basically it's a blood product.

The reason why I say that I was infected then --- is because I started spotting heavy during my 3/4th month of pregnancy January 1996 - we had planned our Honeymoon for January - because we were going on a Cruise. So - while in Anchorage - we went to the hospital - and got all the tests, bladder ultrasound, etc. They determined I need rhogam.

I got the shot --- spotting stopped... all was good.

A week and a half later on the cruise ship - I was MISERABLE... Felt hot - cold - threw up - feet swelled up - I couldn't think straight... Just horrid... I don't remember half the trip. We went to Disney World and all I could think of was a blur... And I attributed it to pregnancy. I now think I was going through an acute phase at the time.

Everything settled down - and we came home from there and life was grand for a couple of years.

If ya wanna know more - let me know - I'll go research it. I'm kind of interested. I just recently found the Sonogram/Ultrasound picture that was taken at that time --- so I can pinpoint the hour that I was given the shot --- and could probably find out what batch it was in now...

Hmmmm... Wonder if I could find out if there are other women in Anchorage area - that were given Rhogam during that time frame --- if THEY also are HCV pos.

WOW.

Interesting...

Meki

[hippygem]

Hi Marcia
In 1977 there were a group of Irish women that were accidently infected with hepatitis C through contaminated  Anti-D Globulin injections.  Maybe you contracted the disease between 1981 and 1990 when you received injections before there was blood screening.