Question

The disease erythroblastosis fetalis in the human embryo is caused due to
A) Disadjustment of blood groups
B) Disadjustment of Rh factor
C) Both A and B
D) None of the above

Answer 1

The disease erythroblastosis fetalis occurs when there is a difference in the blood group of the mother and the baby. Then the mother body identifies the baby growing as a threat to the mother and starts to release an immune response to kill the baby.

Complete answer:
The antibodies are produced by the body in the response to the germs and bacteria that enter our body. This response is usually made when the immune system recognizes a foreign particle as non-self and the antibodies are released to fight against it. When a mother is pregnant with a baby in which there is a difference of the Rh factor then the body identifies the baby as the foreign material and starts to prepare antibodies against it.

The immune response is low in the first-born baby. But when the mother is pregnant with the second baby with different antigens and Rh factor then the body produces antibodies against that baby and the impact on the second baby is more than the first baby. So, the second baby gets infected by the erythroblastosis fetalis. As the immune system of the baby is not developed fully when present in the womb so, they are unable to fight against the antibodies that are produced to kill them.

Hence, the correct answer is option ‘D’ i.e, ‘dis adjustment of Rh factor’.

Note: The babies who are born with these diseases are usually swollen and pale. They often suffer from jaundice after birth. The baby born may often have anemia and also have a larger liver and spleen present in its body.