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When your practitioner tells you your "blood type," you are being
given two pieces of information :
your blood group and your Rh status.
A. Your blood group will be A, B, AB, or O. If you have
"A" "B" or "O" blood group, you have antibodies in your blood plasma
that destroy some of the other blood groups. If you have group "A"
blood, you cannot receive blood that is group "B" and vice versa. If you
have "O" blood, your body will create antibodies to fight "A" or "B"
blood. If you have group "AB" blood however, your body will not create
antibodies for any of the other blood groups.
B. Your Rh status will be listed as negative (-) or
positive (+). If you have Rh- blood, your body may form antibodies
against Rh+ blood and destroy it. In order for this to happen, you must
first be exposed to Rh+ blood (i.e., through a blood transfusion or
carrying an Rh+ fetus). This can be a problem if you have antibodies
against Rh+ blood and are pregnant with an Rh+ fetus. However, there is
medication that can prevent this reaction from occurring if it is given
immediately after you are exposed to Rh+ blood.
TO WHOM CAN I DONATE BLOOD AND
FROM WHOM CAN I RECEIVE BLOOD?
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If you are: |
You can donate to: |
You can receive from: |
|
Group |
*O |
A, B, AB, O |
O |
|
A |
A, AB |
O, A |
|
B |
B, AB |
O, B |
|
** AB |
AB |
A, B, O, AB |
|
Rh status |
Rh + |
Rh + |
Rh +, Rh - |
|
Rh - |
Rh +, Rh - |
Rh - |
* Universal donor
** Universal receiver
WHAT BLOOD TYPE WILL
MY CHILDREN BE?
Inheritance of blood type can be complicated. You may have group "A"
blood, but have genes for both groups "A" and "O." Because "A" group is
stronger or dominant, your blood will be group "A." However, you can
give your children genetic material for either group "A" or "O." The
same is true of "B" group. If both "A" and "B" genetic material is given
to your child, the child will have group "AB" blood. A child with genes
for "O" from both parents will be group "O." The chart on the following
page shows this pattern.
| |
|
Mother's Group |
|
O |
A |
B |
AB |
|
Father's group |
O |
O |
O, A |
O, B |
A, B |
|
A |
O, A |
O, A |
O, A, B, AB |
A, B, AB |
|
B |
O, B |
O, A, B, AB |
O, B |
A, B, AB |
|
AB |
A, B |
A, B, AB |
A, B, AB |
A, B, AB |
Rh status is similar to blood groups. If you are Rh positive, you may
have genes for both positive and negative. If you are Rh negative, you
have two genes for Rh negative.
| |
|
Mother's group
|
| |
|
Rh+ |
Rh- |
|
Father's
group |
Rh + |
Rh +, Rh + |
Rh +, Rh - |
|
Rh - |
Rh +, Rh - |
Rh - |
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Source:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (1981). Medicine for the
Layman, Blood Transfusions: Benefits and Risks, 81-1949. National
Institutes for Health.
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