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D is another name, as the article explains, for Rh (Rhesus) factor. Since some fetal blood ends up in the maternal circulation during birth, an Rh-positive baby

D is another name, as the article explains, for Rh (Rhesus) factor. Since some fetal blood ends up in the maternal circulation during birth, an Rh-positive baby with an Rh-negative mother will trigger mom’s immune system to make anti-Rh antibodies, which causes problems for any future Rh-positive babies. Giving mom anti-Rh antibodies immediately after delivery scavenges all those Rh antigens from mom’s blood before her immune system can react. She has to repeat this for every Rh-positive birth.

andrewla 2y ago
There's more information in one of the linked articles [1]. Apparently some very small percentage of Rh-negative people have an enzyme which allows them to accept Rh-positive blood; that's the "anti-D" factor which saves these lives. [1] https://www.lifeblood.com.au/blood/learn-about-blood/plasma/anti-D https://www.lifeblood.com.au/blood/learn-about-blood/plasma/...
blindriver 2y ago
How many millions of babies have died because of this? Humans truly are incredible that we were able to figure this out, and this guy is a hero for donating blood as often as he did. He needs to be memorialized.
- throwup238 2y ago
  It's hard to say because it depends on population genetics and demographic patterns which vary widely over time period and culture, but it's probably in the ballpark of a hundred million or more in the totality of human existence. I'm on my phone and can't access my notes so I'm going from memory but if we are to take the hemolytic fatality rate in Sub-Saharan Africa as the upper limit, it's on the order of 0.1% of all births. Given the general estimate of 100-120 billion humans who have ever lived, the numbers are staggering.
  - blindriver 2y ago
    Thank you, that is an incredible number of deaths and the fact that someone was able to study this and figure out a solution is just mind boggling.

andrewla 2y ago

There's more information in one of the linked articles [1]. Apparently some very small percentage of Rh-negative people have an enzyme which allows them to accept Rh-positive blood; that's the "anti-D" factor which saves these lives. [1] https://www.lifeblood.com.au/blood/learn-about-blood/plasma/anti-D https://www.lifeblood.com.au/blood/learn-about-blood/plasma/...

blindriver 2y ago

How many millions of babies have died because of this? Humans truly are incredible that we were able to figure this out, and this guy is a hero for donating blood as often as he did. He needs to be memorialized.

throwup238 2y ago
It's hard to say because it depends on population genetics and demographic patterns which vary widely over time period and culture, but it's probably in the ballpark of a hundred million or more in the totality of human existence. I'm on my phone and can't access my notes so I'm going from memory but if we are to take the hemolytic fatality rate in Sub-Saharan Africa as the upper limit, it's on the order of 0.1% of all births. Given the general estimate of 100-120 billion humans who have ever lived, the numbers are staggering.
- blindriver 2y ago
  Thank you, that is an incredible number of deaths and the fact that someone was able to study this and figure out a solution is just mind boggling.