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Original poster

Do you know your child's blood type?

23 replies

GenT · 14/01/2004 21:59

We don't know our dd blood type. We have asked but they say they (medical personnel) don't know either. That I find very difficult to believe.

I say so because she was in SCBU for at least 3 days and all kinds of tests were done to determine the cause of her turning blue. For one I thought, you would find out a blood type to eliminate certain diseases. Yet it seems that wasn't done.

Unless they know and refuse to tell us, I am very curious to know. Anyone else out there is the same?

OP posts:
popsycal · 14/01/2004 22:03

I know ds's - only since he had v bad jaundice and had to have a blood type test to see whether there is a mismatch with mine (there wasn't - we are both the same)
Sorry I can't be much help
I don't thikn they test it without a good reason though

misdee · 14/01/2004 22:04

yup. both my kids are O+.

Roscoe · 14/01/2004 22:07

My ds's had their blood types tested because I am Rh Neg and dh is Rh Pos. I don't know if they would have been tested otherwise though.

misdee · 14/01/2004 22:09

thats how i know too.

stupidgirl · 14/01/2004 22:23

Yeah, I had big problems in second pg due to me being O-, and my first child being O+. The anti-d injection didn't work and my antibody levels were very high. Thry thought dd was + too. It was a very frightening time. Turns out she was - and the reactions were from pg 1. So yes, I know them!

popsycal · 14/01/2004 22:27

I thikn you only know them until there is a reaosn to know them
I didnt find out my own til routine preg tests...
They tested ds1 at four days old

JanH · 14/01/2004 22:33

DH and I are both A+ so I would assume the kids all are too - does it work like that? But you don't generally need to know, do you? Unless for Rh Neg probs and other things like that?

Who have you asked, GenT? If it's your GP/HV they probably wouldn't have the SCBU information - that would be in a hospital file I think. (Whenever I go to the hospital there is a big fat file waiting in the relevant dept, which can't all be from that dept - I have a hospital number and it's all tied to that.)

Slinky · 14/01/2004 22:48

I'm O Rhesus Neg. and DH is A+.

With regards to the children, I know that DD1 and DS1 are both Rhesus Pos. children, and DD2 is Rhes. Neg - not sure of their actual blood groups though.

nutcracker · 14/01/2004 22:53

I should know ds3's but i can't remember it. I had problems with anti-c antibodies whilst pregnant with him, and he had some many blood tests after he was born. I think it his on his discharge notes somewhere

mears · 14/01/2004 23:33

JanH - your children could be A negative even though you are both positive. You both could be heterozygous pos which means you could have recessive negative genes which would reult in negative baby blood group.

Blood groups in babies are only checked if there is a suspected incompatability problem with blood groups or if they need a blood transfusion. GenT - your baby may well not have had her blood group checked.

All my 4 are O positive. I am O neg and have antibodies. DH had his blood group checked during one of my pregnancies to see the likehood of having another Rh pos baby - his blood group is homozygous O pos which means we can only have pos babies.

JanH · 14/01/2004 23:41

mears, is that the kind of blood which can be given to + or - people? I don't think we have that, the blood doning people would have told us, wouldn't they?

mears · 15/01/2004 00:10

No - O negative blood is the one that can be given to anyone. AB positive can receive any blood group. It is a fascinating subject

BadHair · 15/01/2004 00:25

GenT, with her having been in SCBU I think it should be in her hospital notes. YOu can apply for a copy of them by writing to the medical records department of the hospital. There's normally a charge (mine was £10 admin plus 5p per page photocopying), but if her last appointment was within the last 30 (I think) days, they're free of charge.

hmb · 15/01/2004 06:20

I do, but only because dh and I are both O rh+. The children must also be O rh +

codswallop · 15/01/2004 08:27

I am a and so one of them musyt be too

Unusual I hear

Original poster
GenT · 15/01/2004 09:32

I thought they would test it for one being we are not the same culture and different blood types. Wouldn't it have been done to find if there was a mismatch?

They ruled out meningitis, they did scans and all kinds of tests. They did a good job in trying to find out.

JanH - it was SCBU and the midwives I asked. They said they didn't know and they had no reason to test it. When you are slightly in shock, I don't think you think of these questions there and then.

BadHair - that is my other point to take up with the record department. I filled out the form and received a letter to call to set up the appt. I left 2 messages but she never got back to me. She hasn't been discharged completely from the specialist at SCBU and he should be seeing her again. Once again I will try to obtain those records. I would like a copy of those records, mine and her just in case we move and it would make life easier knowing we possess one.

Just another thing for the to do list.

OP posts:
salt · 15/01/2004 09:38

I know my dds but like others that's because I am RH Neg. She is too.

Hulababy · 15/01/2004 09:40

No I don't know DD's blood type. Luckily she has had no reason to have it tested.

I am A+ which I found out when I was pg. DH doesn't know his blood type either.

WideWebWitch · 15/01/2004 09:44

Does it matter if you don't know? I haven't a clue about mine, ds or dd. Is there a situation where it would be bad news not knowing? And if so, how do you find out?

Bozza · 15/01/2004 09:52

I'm O+ - says on my blood donor card. Dunno about DS.

SoupDragon · 15/01/2004 09:53

I know that I'm A+ but I only know that because my mum is A-ve and therefore I had problems at birth (so, kind of the opposite of the Rh-ve mums ) Can I assume that, since my dad is clearly heterozygous pos (I have a rh-ve brother) then I would be too and therefore DSs could be -ve? I do love the way genetics works like this.

No idea about DH or DSs - I assume if it ever became a problem, they'd soimply test there and then and wouldn't rely on what I said anyway.

miriamw · 15/01/2004 10:11

Don't know how true it is, but I was told that the blood group deliberately isn't tested in newborns as it raises paternity issues - so again being rhesus -ve myself both boys were tested but only to determine their rhesus status. Likewise, unlike in Holby, the rhesus status is always checked or Anti-D given even where DH is rhesus negative. DS1 was in SCBU too and still no confirmation of his blood group. I did get my GP to check through all the paperwork but he couldn't find any record of it.

It is also possible that they didn't test for grouping as it wasn't necessary. Again I thought that taking blood unecessarily could amount to assault.

I must admit that as I know DH is 0+ and I'm O- and I know the rhesus factors for the boys I have also assumed that they are O group.... not that it has mattered to date.

princesspeahead · 15/01/2004 10:29

there is no reason to know. and www - there is no situation in which you need to know either. If you need blood you could tell them until you are blue in the face that you are O or whatever - they will still always test to find out themselves if and when you need blood - even in the most dire emergency situation - because if you get it wrong and are given the wrong blood you are dead! (probably - depends on your type).

GenT - they would only have tested her blood type if they thought there were going to do a transfusion imminently, otherwise they wouldn't.

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