title: Parity-related prevalence of rhesus antigens among Mozambican parturients.
abstract: The potential risk of rhesus alloimmunization and the ensuing risk of fetal death with increasing parity were investigated in two groups of parturients; primiparous and grand multiparous (para > or = 5) women with liveborns. It was hypothesized that significantly fewer women of the latter than of the former group would be rhesus negative, since grand multiparity would be expected to be associated with an increased risk of late fetal death in rhesus-negative parturients. Primiparous (n = 390) and grand multiparous (n = 755) parturients with liveborns were studied in order to identify D- and Du-negative individuals. Sixteen out of 390 primiparas (4.10%) and 28/755 (3.71%) grand multiparas were D and Du negative. The difference did not reach statistical significance. It appears that being a D- and Du-negative grand multiparous parturient, in the absence of anti-D prophylaxis, is not a significant reproductive disadvantage to being primipara in terms of an increased risk of having stillborn babies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Central Hospital, Maputo, Mozambique.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Axemo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bergström
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Säfwenberg
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology; D003906:Developing Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009073:Mozambique / Q000453:epidemiology; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012203:Rh Isoimmunization / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System / Q000276:immunology*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System