Question

The nurse is preparing to administer the Rho(D) immune globulin after an Rh-negative client gives birth. The client asks what the medication is for. What teaching should the nurse provide regarding this medication?

Answer 1

Rho(D) immune globulin, or RhoGAM, is administered to Rh-negative mothers after the birth of an Rh-positive child to prevent the development of antibodies that could lead to hemolytic disease of the newborn in future pregnancies.

Step-by-step explanation:

When an Rh-negative client gives birth to an Rh-positive child, there is a risk of sensitization where the mother's immune system may develop antibodies against Rh-positive blood cells. These antibodies, if developed, can cross the placenta in a subsequent pregnancy and attack the red blood cells of an Rh-positive fetus, leading to hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN). To prevent this from happening, Rho(D) immune globulin, commonly known as RhoGAM, is administered. This medication provides Rh antibodies that target any fetal Rh-positive blood cells that have entered the mother's circulation, binding to them and preventing the mother's immune system from recognizing them and producing her own antibodies. RhoGAM is given during the 26th to 28th week of pregnancy and within 72 hours after childbirth. This treatment has been very effective in reducing the incidence of HDN from about 13-14 percent without treatment to 0.1 percent with the introduction of RhoGAM.