Limited awareness of blood incompatibility between mothers and their fetuses has become a contributing factor to infant deaths and serious problems for mothers in Badghis province. Several women in the province say that their lack of knowledge about blood incompatibility during pregnancy has led to tragic consequences. Doctors in Badghis warn about this health issue and emphasize that families’ lack of awareness can endanger the lives of both mother and child.
Abdul Naser Behbudi, an internal medicine specialist, told Salam Watandar regarding this,
“Blood group incompatibility usually occurs because of differences between antibodies and antigens. One of the main causes is a difference in the Rh factor—whether it is positive or negative. If the mother is Rh-negative and the father is Rh-positive, the mother’s body may produce antibodies against the fetus’s blood, which can cause serious problems for the fetus.”
Najiba Rayan, a gynecology and obstetrics specialist, described the consequences of this incompatibility,
“Blood incompatibility between the mother and fetus can lead to fetal death in the womb, severe jaundice in newborns, anemia, and even disability in the child. The risk increases in subsequent pregnancies. However, these problems can be prevented by the RhoGAM (anti-Rh) injection during pregnancy and within a maximum of 72 hours after childbirth.”
Meanwhile, Masuma Ehsan, another gynecology and obstetrics specialist, said that to prevent the negative consequences of blood incompatibility between mother and fetus, pregnant women should have their blood group tested starting from the twelfth week of pregnancy.
“Diagnosing pregnancy and checking the mother’s blood group from the twelfth week of pregnancy are very important. If the mother’s blood type is Rh-negative and the father’s is positive, the RhoGAM injection is necessary. These medical follow-ups should continue even after childbirth to ensure the health of both mother and newborn.” she said.
Some women in Badghis shared their painful experiences related to this issue—experiences that resulted in the loss of their children or serious health problems.
Saniya, one of these women, said sadly,
“My first child looked healthy, but after a while, he died. Later, I found out that the reason was the incompatibility between my blood and my child’s blood. In later pregnancies, I had to stop breastfeeding and feed the baby with formula so that the baby’s condition would improve.”
Taza, another mother in Badghis, said, “I became pregnant several times, but none of my children survived. Doctors said the reason was blood incompatibility.”
Rukhshana, a 25-year-old woman in Badghis who has been married for six years and still has no children, said with regret,
“It has been six years since I got married, and I still do not have a child. In my first pregnancy, I had a miscarriage, and the doctors said my blood was not compatible with the fetus’s blood.”
In contrast, the experience of Sanam, a 30-year-old woman, tells a story of hope that comes with awareness. She said,
“After the birth of my first child and learning about blood incompatibility, my other children were born healthy. With careful monitoring and special injections during my later pregnancies, my second and third children were born healthy. My first child had severe anemia after birth, but now that I am aware of blood incompatibility, I was able to complete my later pregnancies safely.”
However, Mostafa Seddiqi, spokesperson for the Badghis Provincial Hospital, said that diagnostic and treatment services for maternal-fetal blood incompatibility are still not available at the hospital. He added,
“Currently, at the provincial hospital and within the EPHS service package, we do not have tests related to maternal-fetal blood incompatibility during pregnancy.”
Health experts emphasize that preventive solutions for this problem are simple and accessible. Raising awareness among families, conducting blood group tests before marriage and at the beginning of pregnancy, ensuring easy access to medical centers, and the RhoGAM injection on time are among the most important measures that can save the lives of mothers and newborns.
Reporter: Obaida Nikofar
