For a long time, many couples have struggled with the issue of childlessness, which has caused them anguish. However, in comparison to accounts of witchcraft and Abiku, nothing is known about the Rhesus factor (Rh).
Rhesus factor is a type of protein found mostly on red blood cells. When this protein is present, the person is Rh-positive; when it is not present, the person is Rh-negative.
According to statistics, approximately 85 percent of persons are Rh-positive. You could be asking where you got the protein from. The protein is inherited from both parents. Either the mother or the father can provide the protein.
However, when it comes to the Rhesus factor in Nigeria, Prof. Titi Adeyemo of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, revealed in an interview published on September 15, 2021, that the disease affects 19 out of every 20 Nigerians.
Women make up around 86 million of Nigeria’s 195 million population, according to the National Population Commission (NPC). Rhesus disease affects 5.9% of these women. With our current birth rate, Rhesus illness would afflict almost 400,000 children, Mrs Olufunmilayo Banire, President of the Rhesus Solution Initiative mentioned during an interview on May 24, 2018.
Rhesus conditions develop when blood from a mother and a child with different Rhesus factors mixes, especially in Rhesus negative moms. Most of the time, the woman’s body recognizes the foetus as foreign and attempts to fight and eject the child, resulting in miscarriages.
Rhesus disease was and continues to be one of the leading causes of stillbirths and miscarriages in the country, depriving many young couples of the joy of parenthood. It has also been found as a source of pregnancy issues, including mental retardation in newborns, jaundices, anaemia, and, in very extreme cases, neonatal death or infant death for those babies who survive the fugue.
Both the mother and the child are frequently at risk when it comes to rhesus sickness. Ignorance and myths, on the other hand, are fueling Nigeria’s health crisis.
You might be wondering if there are any symptoms that can alert you to the fact that you have rhesus sickness. Regrettably, there are no signs.
Many infants have died as a result of difficulties originating from Rhesus incompatibility, according to Adeyemo of LUTH, because their parents are unaware of their status.
To combat this problem, women must first determine their rhesus factor before reaching childbearing age. Parents should also make sure that their children are aware of their rhesus factor, as this will help them choose their relationships in the future.
People should also be aware of their blood group, genotype, and Rhesus factor. This should be taken to the ground level, i.e. secondary schools, in order to catch them while they are still young.
Rhesus negative women must have Rhogam Anti D injections 28 weeks into their pregnancy and again 72 hours after delivery. They will avoid miscarriage and the delivery of dead babies if they take the injection.
Women should also check the rhesus factors, blood group, and genotype of their newborns almost immediately after putting to bed. Children born rhesus negative should be counselled beginning in childhood so that by the time they reach adolescence, they are aware of what to expect and the risks involved.
This condition usually affects Rhesus-negative women who are bearing Rhesus-positive kids. Rhesus positive moms, on the other hand, have nothing to be concerned about, even if their child is Rhesus negative.
It is crucial to note, however, that Rhesus negative moms have a natural immunity to bear their first baby without difficulty, but complications may arise after the first. As a result, some women have one child and then lose all subsequent pregnancies.
If a woman is Rhesus negative and has had an abortion, she will most likely be unable to bear another kid, which means she will suffer miscarriages without knowing why, unless she knows her Rhesus factor and takes the injection after conception.
However, the expense of the injection, which is too pricey for most Nigerians, is a matter of concern.
“The injection is about N50, 000,” says Banire of the Rhesus Solution Initiative, “and you think the average Nigerian’s income, which is about N18, 000.” So, how much of that would be needed before someone could afford the injection during pregnancy and three days following delivery?”
These women should be helped to deal with this problem, and if the government came to their aid and eradicated the sickness as they did with Polio, a lot more families would be doing well. In addition, if the injections are made accessible and available, a large number of homes will benefit.
Among those doing something about the situation is the Rhesus Solution Initiative which is aiming to educate women, particularly rhesus negative women, as well as support those who are financially disadvantaged as rhesus negative mothers, by donating Free Rhogam Injection (Anti-D Immunoglobulin) Injection.
