The Deputy Director of Nursing Services, Ibeju Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State, Mrs. Roseline Daramola has stressed the need for intending couples to know their hemoglobin genotype before marriage. She said those itching to tie the nuptial knot should be concerned about their genotype to avoid what she described as compatibility issue which she noted could have a devastating effect after settling down as husbands and wives. Delivering a paper entitled “Blood group, genotype and Rhesus Incompatibility” at St. Rita Catholic Church, Obadeyi, Agege, Lagos, the senior nursing officer warned that “it is better to avoid than treat an ailment that could inflict pains and hardship on the family.”
The speaker, who lamented the great havoc caused by incompatibility of blood group among families, as a result of ignorance, said apart from helping to choose the right partner for marriage, she described one’s blood group as the foundation which must be strong. Mrs. Daramola, while mentioning A, B, AB and O as the four types of blood groups, said whichever blood group one belongs is determined by the “presence or absence of certain antigenic substances that can trigger an immune response if they are foreign to the body.” She added, ” Since some antigens can trigger a patient’s immune system to attack transfused blood, safe blood transfusion depends on careful blood typing and cross-matching.” Explaining the importance of genotype, she said genotype functions as a set of instructions for the growth and development of the body.
“AA can marry anybody, AS is better and compatible with AA, AS, and AS, AS and SS are too risky. Two sickle cell patients should avoid conception,” she warned. On Rhesus factor, Mrs. Daramola described it as the protein which is “genetically” inherited from parents. “If you have the protein, you are Rhesus positive, if you do not have the protein then you are Rhesus negative. The majority of people are Rhesus positive. “The protein does not affect overall health but it is important to know your RH status if you are pregnant. Rhesus factor can cause complications during pregnancy if you are Rh- and your child is Rh+. Antibody formation can happen after blood transfusion or when fetal blood enters mother’s circulation. This can cause complications during pregnancy.” She explained that Rhesus incompatibility occurs when a woman and her unborn child have “a difference in blood type”. The chairman of the society, Barrister Thomas Olanrewaju, said the seminar was put together for youths and those planning to marry, to guide them while picking a life partner. Parents were advised to encourage their children to go for test before settling down for a serious relationship to avoid unpalatable situation in future. The talk was put together by Christ the King Society as part of its yearly programmes aimed at sensitising the parishioners about self-awareness.
