Rhesus Immunization in Nigeria

Abstract

Summary. All Rhesus negative multiparous women receiving ante‐natal care at University College Hospital, Ibadan, between 1958 and 1965 were tested for evidence of Rhesus immunization. In this otherwise unselected group of 443 patients there were 20 cases of proven immunization (overall incidence 4.5%). Nine of the immunized women had had transfusions of Rhesus positive blood and therefore, the frequency of immunization by pregnancy alone is only 11/434, or 2.5%. Analysis of the clinical data on the newborns has shown a more benign course in the group of babies born from women immunized by transfusion, when compared to those born from women immunized by pregnancy.