Visit our foundation to give a gift.
 View Locations Near Me
Main Campus – Hartford
Connecticut Children’s – Waterbury
Urgent Care – Farmington
Specialty Care Center – Danbury
Connecticut Children’s Surgery Center at FarmingtonÂ
Specialty Care Center – Fairfield
Search All LocationsÂ
Find a doctorÂ
Contact Us Â
Search SpecialtiesÂ
Find A DoctorÂ
Request an Appointment
Locations
Amenities and Services
Who’s Who on Care Team
Getting Ready for Surgery
What to Expect—Picture Stories
Disney Initiative
Pay a Bill
Understanding the Different Fees
Pricing Transparency and Estimates
Child Life
Raytheon Technologies Family Resource Center
Family Advisory Council
Transition Programs
Advocacy
Legal Advocacy: Benefits, Education, Housing
Electronic Health Records
MyChart
Share Your Story
Pay a BillÂ
Login to MyChartÂ
Specialty Referrals
Clinical Support Services Referrals
Inpatient Referrals
ED/Transport Referrals
About the Network
Join the Network
Graduate Medical Education
Continuing Medical Education
MOC/Practice Quality Improvement
Educating Practices in the Community (EPIC)
For Nurses
Learning & Performance
Research
Resources
CLASP/Referral Guidelines
Meet our Physician Relations Team
Request Medical Records
Join our Referring Provider Advisory Board
View our Physician Callback Standards
Read & Subscribe to Medical NewsÂ
Register for Email Updates
Update Your Practice Information
Refer a Patient Â
Contact OneCall Â
Find and Print Health Info Â
Health Information For Parents
One of the first tests a pregnant woman should expect is a blood-type test. This test checks her blood type and Rh factor. Her Rh factor may play a role in her baby’s health, so it’s important to know this information early in pregnancy.
An Rh factor is a protein found on some red blood cells (RBCs). Not everyone carries this protein, though most do. They are Rh-positive. People who don’t carry the protein are Rh-negative.
When a mother-to-be and father-to-be are not both positive or negative for Rh factor, it’s called Rh incompatibility.
For example:
Rh incompatibility usually isn’t a problem if it’s the mother’s first pregnancy. That’s because the baby’s blood does not normally enter the mother’s circulatory system during the pregnancy.
During the birth, though, the mother’s and baby’s blood can mix. If this happens, the mother’s body recognizes the Rh protein as a foreign substance. It then might begin making antibodies (proteins that act as protectors if foreign cells enter the body) against the Rh protein.
Rh-negative pregnant women can be exposed to the Rh protein that might cause antibody production in other ways too. These include:
Rh antibodies are harmless until the mother’s second or later pregnancies. If she is ever carrying another Rh-positive child, her Rh antibodies will recognize the Rh proteins on the surface of the baby’s blood cells as foreign. Her antibodies will pass into the baby’s bloodstream and attack those cells.
This can make the baby’s red blood cells swell and rupture. This is known as hemolytic or Rh disease of the newborn. It can make a baby’s blood count get very low.
If a pregnant woman has the potential to develop Rh incompatibility, doctors give her a series of two Rh immune-globulin shots during her first pregnancy. She’ll get:
Rh immune-globulin acts like a vaccine. It prevents the mother’s body from making any Rh antibodies that could cause serious health problems in the newborn or affect a future pregnancy.
A woman also might get a dose of Rh immune-globulin if she has a miscarriage, an amniocentesis, or any bleeding during pregnancy.
If a doctor finds that a woman has already developed Rh antibodies, her pregnancy will be closely watched to make sure that those levels are not too high.
In rare cases, if the incompatibility is severe and a baby is in danger, the baby can get special blood transfusions called exchange transfusions either before birth (intrauterine fetal transfusions) or after delivery. Exchange transfusions replace the baby’s blood with blood with Rh-negative blood cells. This stabilizes the level of red blood cells and minimizes damage from Rh antibodies already in the baby’s bloodstream.
Thanks to the success rate of Rh immune-globulin shots, exchange transfusions in Rh-incompatible pregnancies are rarely needed in the United States.
If you’re not sure what your Rh factor is and think you’re pregnant, it’s important to start regular prenatal care as soon as possible — including blood-type testing. With early detection and treatment of Rh incompatibility, you can focus on more important things — like welcoming a new, healthy baby.
Advice and information for expectant and new parents.
The sooner in pregnancy good care begins, the better for the health of both moms and their babies. Here’s what to expect.
Find out what tests may be offered to you during the first trimester of pregnancy.
During your pregnancy, you’ll probably get advice from everyone. But staying healthy depends on you – read about the many ways to keep you and your baby as healthy as possible.
Our week-by-week illustrated pregnancy calendar is a detailed guide to all the changes taking place in your baby – and in you!
When you first meet your newborn, you may be surprised by what you see. Here’s what to expect.
Every parent-to-be hopes for a healthy baby, but it can be hard not to worry. Find out what tests can keep you informed of your health â and your baby’s â throughout pregnancy.
Here are the basics about the life-sustaining fluid called blood.
By the time you hold your new baby for the first time, you’ve probably chosen your little one’s doctor. Learn about your newborn’s medical care.
Jaundice is when a baby has yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. Most types of jaundice go away on their own.
Women who have this common but potentially dangerous bacteria while pregnant receive antibiotics during labor to avoid passing the bacteria onto their babies.