Why is it not advisable for a husband to donate blood for his wife during her childbearing years?
Generally speaking, husbands may donate blood for their wives provided that their red cells are compatible in the major ABO and Rh types (or “antigens”). There are many other antigens (weaker than ABO and Rh) that usually don’t have to be matched because transfusion of blood containing one of these antigens to a patient lacking this antigen rarely causes production of antibodies (proteins that react with the antigens). When antibodies do develop they don’t usually appear for several months. By this time the transfused red cells have disappeared and therefore they escape damage by the antibody. However, for a woman who plans to become pregnant in the future, receiving blood from her husband poses a small risk for the infants of these pregnancies. If, after transfusion the woman develops an antibody to an antigen on the father’s red cells, and a subsequent fetus inherits the father’s red cell antigen, the antibody from the mother may enter the bloodstream of the fetus causing destruction
