Does family history get to you sometimes?

[Marmalady]

 I have a family in the mid 1700s who had 12 children, of whom only 2 survived to adulthood.
The rest mostly died under a year old, some within a few weeks of birth.

I have often wondered if this was a result of Rhesus incompatibility.

I am Rh negative, both my children are Rh positive.
I was given an injection within 24 hours of giving birth to countereffect the problems that would otherwise arise from the incompatibility

[phenolphthalein]

So glad for you Marmalady.

Our family's blood was tested after baby sister's death
so I guess we helped in development of remedy now given after birth of each child.
Glad others do not have the lifelong grief of my parents and by default us.
pH

 

[Top-of-the-hill]

  The Rhesus factor was my original guess until I investigated further. My youngest cousin had to have a blood transfusion at birth (I think - 1958) as his mother was R neg.

[oldfashionedgirl]

Thank you Phenolphthalein for explaining the Rhesus blood issue for me.
I have always wondered about it as my Mum had that issue.
I am a regular blood donor and I am Rhesus + but when I first gave age 18 my card which you stuck the little donation slips in said in red along the top ‘positive donor negative recipient’ .
A very long time ago i asked what this meant and was given a detailed explanation which I didn’t understand. I
Just last week when I gave blood the attendant asked me if I had any questions so on impulse I asked her. We didn’t get very far as I mentioned the red type on the card and she said she had never heard of or see these cards.
It made me feel very old and I muttered that it didn’t matter and went through to the next room to donate.
Your explanation was so easy to understand, thanks.

[Marmalady]

If you are Rhesus positive, you can have a transfusion of either positive or negative blood without problems
If you are Rhesus negative you need to have a transfusion of negative blood.

It was the failure of some transfusions that led to further investigation of blood types and so the discovery of the rhesus factor

[iluleah]

I have a family in the mid 1700s who had 12 children, of whom only 2 survived to adulthood.
The rest mostly died under a year old, some within a few weeks of birth.

I have often wondered if this was a result of Rhesus incompatibility.

I am Rh negative, both my children are Rh positive.
I was given an injection within 24 hours of giving birth to countereffect the problems that would otherwise arise from the incompatibility

I am sure in many cases the Rhesus factor was the case, however the further you go back the less medication and  health care was available with little to no pre/post natal care and they didn't know then about it  and with pregancy and birth lots of things can go wrong even now.
Now we have very good medical professionals, knowledge, medication  and resources

[Marmalady]

I am sure in many cases the Rhesus factor was the case, however the further you go back the less medication and  health care was available with little to no pre/post natal care and they didn't know then about it  and with pregnancy and birth lots of things can go wrong even now.
Now we have very good medical professionals, knowledge, medication  and resources

Oh yes, I realise that there could be many reasons for the loss of so many children.
But as I am Rhesus negative, I must have inherited it from somewhere!

[BumbleB]

All this talk of the Rhesus factor has reminded me to do something.  I, too, am Rhesus negative, and in the 1% contingent.  I have now decided that I really should carry confirmation of this at all times.  And I am also wondering who I inherited it from, and also could it be a reason why I am an only child? 

[arthurk]

It can be tricky working out who you inherit Rhesus negative from, since it's a recessive gene. Our daughter is Rhesus negative, but my wife and I are both positive, as is our son.

My wife's father was known to be negative, but for it to emerge in our daughter, my wife and I must both carry the gene for it. However, as far as I know, both my parents were positive, so I can only guess where mine came from. A second cousin on my mother's side has told me she is Rhesus negative, so that's a possibility; however, my father was an only child, so there might have been something there.