why can't family members donate blood to each other

by Luther Stehr 6 min read

Family blood donation is generally discouraged as they are often first time or infrequent donors and do not have a safety history established. Additionally, mothers may have antibodies that react against RBC, leukocyte, platelet, or HLA antigens expressed on neonatal cells.

Can I donate blood for a family member?

Anyone who is healthy and meets the criteria for blood donation may designate their blood for a specific patient. There are certain exceptions, including: If the patient will be receiving a bone marrow or stem cell transplant from a family member, no close blood relatives (grandparents, parents, children, siblings, aunts and uncles, first cousins, or nieces and nephews) should …

Can people with Type B blood donate to each other?

If the donated blood is not used during surgery, it is discarded since current safety standards do not allow its transfusion to other patients. Directed Donations A directed donation occurs when a patient's family and friends donate blood for his or her upcoming procedure.

What are the different types of blood donations?

May 15, 2014 · In the U.S., about 40% of Caucasians, 31% of Hispanics, 27.5% of Asians and 26% of African Americans carry this blood type, which is safe to donate blood to others with type A blood, as well as ...

What are the side effects of donating your own blood?

Some family members have maintained contact with each other, but the situation is rapidly changing. As of now, most have maintained their own family connections via cell phones, but it is important to note that the telecommunication systems in the region have been affected.

image

Can family members donate blood to each other?

Directed donation (for a family member or friend) The donor must meet the same requirements as for regular blood donation, and the donor's blood must match the blood type of the recipient.Apr 7, 2017

Can family members give blood transfusion?

Another option for blood transfusions is called directed donation. This is when a family member or friend donates blood specifically to be used by a designated patient. For directed donation, the donor must have a blood type that is compatible with the recipient's.

Does blood donation from a family member require irradiation?

It is suggested that blood donations from the first-degree relatives should not be permitted, unless the donation is irradiated to prevent TA-GVHD.

Why can't people with different blood types donate to each other?

That means people with type A blood create antibodies against B antigens. A person with type A blood receiving a transfusion of type B or AB blood would have an ABO incompatibility reaction. In an ABO incompatibility reaction, your immune system attacks the new blood cells and destroys them.

Can siblings give blood to each other?

If the patient will be receiving a bone marrow or stem cell transplant from a family member, no close blood relatives (grandparents, parents, children, siblings, aunts and uncles, first cousins, or nieces and nephews) should donate blood.

Who Cannot donate blood?

You must be in good health at the time you donate. You cannot donate if you have a cold, flu, sore throat, cold sore, stomach bug or any other infection. If you have recently had a tattoo or body piercing you cannot donate for 6 months from the date of the procedure.

Can you directly donate blood?

Autologous donations are donations that individuals give for their own use – for example, before a surgery. Autologous donations require a doctor's prescription. You must call 1-800-RED-CROSS to schedule an appointment in advance and request an Autologous Donation form to be signed by your physician.

Why is blood irradiation done?

Irradiation (or pathogen inactivation) of blood products is performed to abrogate the risk of transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GVHD), a rare and almost universally fatal complication of blood transfusion with no successful treatment options.

Who requires irradiated blood?

Which blood components need to be irradiated? Only cellular blood components (red cells, platelets and granulocytes) need to be irradiated.

What happens if mom and baby have different blood types?

If a baby's and mother's blood are incompatible, it can lead to fetal anemia, immune hydrops (erythroblastosis fetalis) and other complications. The most common type of blood type incompatibility is Rh disease (also known as Rh incompatibility). The Rh factor is a protein on the covering of red blood cells.

What two blood types Cannot have a baby?

When a mother-to-be and father-to-be are not both positive or negative for Rh factor, it's called Rh incompatibility. For example: If a woman who is Rh negative and a man who is Rh positive conceive a baby, the fetus may have Rh-positive blood, inherited from the father.

What is the rarest blood type?

type ABIn the U.S., the blood type AB, Rh negative is considered the rarest, while O positive is most common.May 18, 2020

Keeping The Blood Supply Safe

  • The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) closely regulates blood to keep the blood supply safe. The AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks) also publishes guidelines for safe transfusions, which its members must follow. In the United States, all blood centers follow careful procedures to keep the blood supply safe. Everyone who comes in to donate is asked m…
See more on cancer.org

Rules That Protect Blood Donors

  • Aside from protecting those who receive donated blood, rules are also in place to protect people who want to donate. Although guidelines can vary slightly by state and facility, for the most part donors must: 1. Be healthy 2. Be at least 17 years old (or 16 with parental consent) 3. Weigh at least 110 pounds 4. Not have donated blood within the past 8 weeks (this can be shorter for mo…
See more on cancer.org

The Donation Process

  • Before giving blood, get a good night’s sleep, eat a well-balanced meal, and drink extra fluids that are non-alcoholic and non-caffeinated. Many donor centers ask that you bring in a list of all the medicines you’re taking and your donor card, driver’s license, or 2 forms of other identification.
See more on cancer.org

Interested in Donating Blood?

  • Shortages in blood and platelets sometimes happen in certain areas of the country, especially during the holidays. If you’re interested in donating blood, contact AABB for a list of member institutions, or visit their online blood bank locator. You can also contact America’s Blood Centers or the American Red Cross for donation centers near you.
See more on cancer.org