Maternal-fetal Rhesus (Rh) factor incompatibility in Arar, northern Saudi Arabia

Rh isoimmunization still contributes to the neonatal morbidity and mortality due to non-immunization, under-immunization, and in rare cases, false Rh typing. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Rh incompatibility, mothers' knowledge about Rh incompatibility, mothers' knowledge about anti-D immunoglobulin and to show the pregnancy outcome of Rh negative mothers.

A cross-sectional study was carried out at the Maternity and Children Hospital in Arar city from November 2016 to May 2017. All pregnant mothers attending the Maternity and Children Hospital for pregnancy follow up or delivery, during the study period were studied. Data were collected by means of personal interview with the sampled population using a researcher-made questionnaire covering the needed data. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16, using descriptive statistics and Chi-Square test.

Of the studied mothers, 23% were Rh negative. Only 38% of the studied mothers had knowledge about Rh incompatibility, 68.5% had knowledge about anti-D and 51% had knowledge about time of administration of anti D. Considering pregnancy outcome; 55% of the delivered babies needed incubation after delivery, 23.3% of those babies were born to Rh negative mothers. However, 6.7% of the incubated children died after incubation (47.8% of them belong to Rh negative mothers).

About a quarter of the mothers in the studied population were Rh negative. Mothers had a low level of knowledge about Rh incompatibility and anti-D immunoglobulin and its administration. Health education sittings are needed to increase public awareness about this important issue.