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Multiple Choice

What drug is administered to prevent an Rh- mother from being sensitized to an Rh+ baby's antigen?

Preventing Rh sensitization relies on giving anti-D antibodies to the mother so she doesn’t mount her own immune response to fetal Rh antigens. RhoGAM is the brand name for Rh(D) immune globulin, the passive immunoglobulin that binds any fetal Rh-positive red blood cells that cross into maternal circulation. By coating those cells, it masks the D antigen and prevents the maternal B cells from recognizing it and producing anti-D antibodies. This is why RhoGAM is used in Rh-negative mothers to prevent sensitization, especially during pregnancy and after events that could cause fetomaternal hemorrhage. Vitamin K serves a different purpose (coagulation in newborns), and terms like RhIG or anti-D serum refer to the same concept in different naming, not a different mechanism.

Preventing Rh sensitization relies on giving anti-D antibodies to the mother so she doesn’t mount her own immune response to fetal Rh antigens. RhoGAM is the brand name for Rh(D) immune globulin, the passive immunoglobulin that binds any fetal Rh-positive red blood cells that cross into maternal circulation. By coating those cells, it masks the D antigen and prevents the maternal B cells from recognizing it and producing anti-D antibodies. This is why RhoGAM is used in Rh-negative mothers to prevent sensitization, especially during pregnancy and after events that could cause fetomaternal hemorrhage. Vitamin K serves a different purpose (coagulation in newborns), and terms like RhIG or anti-D serum refer to the same concept in different naming, not a different mechanism.