About 235 mothers had regular follow up of pregnancy, while 72 mothers had irregular follow up and only 36 mothers had no follow up of pregnancy. A total number of 131 mothers had knowledge about Rh incompatibility. Table 3 illustrates the mothers’ knowledge about Rh incompatibility, follow up of pregnancy, administration of prophylactic and after delivery anti D. A total of 79% of fathers were Rh positive. Regarding father’s blood groups 36.7% had blood group A, 28.9% were blood group O, 19.2% blood group B and 15.2% with blood group AB. Blood group A was found in 39% of mothers (30% were Rh positive and 9% were negative), 33.8% had blood group O (27.7% positive and 6.1% Rh negative), 16.6% had blood group B (12.8% Rh positive and 3.8% Rh negative) and only 10.5% had blood group AB (6.4% Rh positive and 4.1% Rh negative). Table 2 shows mothers and fathers’ blood groups and Rh. Consanguinity was positive in 41.4% of the studied participants.

Regarding educational level about two thirds of the studied population were highly educated, 19.5% reached secondary school while 5.8% were illiterate. The main objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of Rh incompatibility, mothers’ knowledge about Rh incompatibility, mothers’ knowledge about anti-D immunoglobulin and to show the pregnancy outcome of Rh negative mothers.Īccording to the study, 47.8% of participants were aged between 20–24 years old, 27.4% were aged 25–30 and 15.7% were aged between 31–40 years old ( Table 1). There is a major paucity in the literature regarding the estimated prevalence of Rh negativity and mothers’ knowledge about Rh incompatibility and anti-D immunoglobulin and the pregnancy outcome of Rh negative mothers among pregnant women in Saudi Arabia, particularly in the northern region. Local population based studies on male and female volunteers from Saudi Arabia revealed that the prevalence of Rh negative blood group in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia is 8% and in southwest Saudi Arabia, it is 7.2% ( 7, 8). Perinatal mortality rate was 2 in alloimmunized pregnancies ( 6). There were 424 cases reported as Rh antibody positive with an alloimmunization prevalence of 1.8% in the studied population, and 23.6% among Rh negative women. In a study by Bondagji NS, Rhesus negative blood group was reported in 7.5% cases. Of these 63 neonates, 48 (76.2%) had hyperbilirubinemia and 43 neonates (68.3%) had significant hyperbilirubinemia. Another study in the same field which was conducted in India reported a total of 90 neonates were born to Rh-negative mothers, of which 70% (63) had the Rh-positive blood group and 30% had the Rh negative blood group. A previous study in Nigeria ( 5) showed that the level of knowledge of maternal-fetal blood incompatibility of expectant mothers was low (only 39% correct response) and barely an average of 56% for positive attitudes, only 42% of the respondents had ever done the test. The study found that the proportion of negative blood type was 4.2 %, including 3.6 % among females and 4.75 % for males ( 4). A study in Baghdad reported that the highest prevalence rate among the holders of blood group (A) was 30.1 %, followed by holders of blood group (f) which was 29.6 %, then the holders of blood type (b) 27.2%, and finally the holders of blood type (AB) at 13.1%. However, the evidence on the optimal dose is limited ( 3). Anti-D should be given within 72 hours after birth to reduce the risk of RhD complications in rhesus negative women who have given birth to a rhesus positive infant. Less than 1% of the Native American and Asian populations have this phenotype ( 2). Seven percent of black people have this blood type. Population data reported that the incidence of RhD negativity is highest among Basques (36%).

About (15%) of the white population has an RhD negative blood type. The incidence of Rh disease in a population depends on predominance of rhesus negative. These antibodies are directed against antigens of the father’s origin, which are present in the children’s erythrocytes and that the mother’s immune system recognizes as foreign antigens ( 1). Hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) is considered as a disease whose basis is accelerated immune destruction of child erythrocytes that are bound to IgG antibodies of maternal origin.

Rh ifactor in compability