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Which of the following should the nurse recognize as a possible maternal-infant blood group incompatibility?

1) The mother is O positive and the infant is O negative.
2) The mother is A positive and the infant is A negative.
3) The mother is O positive and the infant is B negative.
4) The mother is B positive and the infant is O negative.

User Soydachi
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1 Answer

6 votes

Final answer:

Among the given options, maternal-infant blood group incompatibility could occur if the mother is O positive and the infant is B negative, potentially leading to hemolytic disease of the newborn.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should recognize a possible maternal-infant blood group incompatibility in the scenario where the mother is O positive and the infant is B negative (option 3). This is because blood type O individuals do not have antigens for A or B blood types, meaning an O positive mother would have antibodies against the B antigens present on the infant's red blood cells. This situation could potentially lead to hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) if the mother's anti-B antibodies cross the placenta and attack the infant's B antigen-positive red blood cells. In the case of the Rh factor, a complication can occur if an Rh-negative mother is exposed to an Rh-positive fetus' blood cells, which can happen during childbirth or if there's some other form of fetal-maternal blood mixing. After this initial exposure, the Rh-negative mother may produce anti-Rh antibodies, which can cross the placenta in subsequent pregnancies with an Rh-positive baby, leading to HDN.

User Meuk Light
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