Rh Sensitization During Pregnancy

Medications

Use of Rh immune globulin is 99.8% effective in preventing Rh sensitization.¹ Rh immune globulin contains Rh antibodies that have been purified from human donors. This treatment prevents an unsensitized Rh-negative mother from making antibodies against her fetus's Rh-positive blood.

If an affected fetus younger than 34 weeks needs to be delivered, corticosteroid medication (betamethasone or dexamethasone) may be given to the mother to speed fetal lung development before a premature birth.

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Author:	Kathe Gallagher, MSW	Last Updated: November 2, 2007
Medical Review:	Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine Gregory A L Davies, MD, FRCSC, FACOG - Maternal-Fetal Medicine
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