What are the Risks of Rh Incompatibility?
Rh incompatibility poses a very low risk to mother or baby with a first-time pregnancy. The risks of Rh incompatibility increase significantly with subsequent pregnancies, however, especially if the mother is not aware of the condition. Babies affected by Rh incompatibility may suffer mild to severe symptoms ranging from jaundice to hearing loss to retardation, seizures, or death. Rh incompatibility occurs in only a small percentage of pregnant women and happens only when the mother has an Rh-negative blood type and the fetus develops an Rh-positive blood type. The odds of a fetus developing an Rh-positive blood type are 50% when an Rh-negative mother conceives with an Rh-positive partner.
