My late mother's blood..what does it mean?

[kathsgirl.48]

I've just come across my late mother's blood group card in a plastic wallet.

It's dated April 1957 by the SW (England) Regional Blood Tranfusion Service and it states her blood group as.. A Rh Positive.

Mum had several operations during her life time and the hospital always had to make sure that they had enough of this particular blood group in, whenever she had an op.

The interesting thing that Mum told me, when I was young, is that her blood group originated from the Black Foot Indians of America! At least that's what the hospital told her.

Mum and her parents were all born in Dublin Ireland.

I'm curious to know if she inherited this blood group from her mother or her father and would her sisters have had the same blood group??

Does it mean that somebody in a previous generation had a 'friendly encounter' with one of Wild Bill whatsisname and his Indians travelling circus.???

[Darksecretz]

Teresa

have a look here, it might help..

The National Blood Service - what blood type are you?

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

Sorry, to disappoint you, but A+ is not unusal, it is also my husband's blood type. The only way you could know if you were decended from American indians would be a DNA test.

[Sue at the seaside]

Blood is are far more complex that most people understand, The basic Group that you have the record for is -in this county- not to put to finer point on it- common. For most people that is all that is needed, basic ABO and Rhesus Pos or Neg.

The interesting part comes when testing for other antibodies (and sub groups)in the blood, some will cause difficulties when reserving donated blood to have on stand by to cover operations. Without further info, that you will not have access to, it is impossible to say what peculiarity she had.

Many people have these wonderful stories, you spend ages looking for what there is that could cause problems and there is nothing! Very frustrating! But I wish I had some of her blood to work on, I always like a challange. (and I'm very sad and love my job!)

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

My granny always said she had blue blood

[kathsgirl.48]

Thanks for your prompt replies!

I've had a look at the National Blood Tranfusion website...and can't quite get my head around that.

Sue..it sound like you have a very interesting job and thanks for your information.

I guessed that blood matching was a bit more complex than what is understood by others.... that don't work in that field.

It always botherd me when Mum had to have an operation..the hospital having to make sure they had enough of her blood type. What the peculiarity she had, is a complete mystery to me...apart from being Irish! Only joking...I'm proud to have Irish blood in my veins!

Or maybe I don't...got no idea what blood group I am. It must be the most common one as no problems when I've had to have ops.

[Darksecretz]

Teresa,

if you become a blood donor they will give you a card with your blood type on it, i'm B+, which only 8% of the British Population are.

The National Blood Service - what blood type are you?

gives you some stats there, My OH is AB+ (but he has to be awkward..lol)

[Pamdidle]

Only 1% of the population have my group which is AB Negative.
I found that out when l was pregnant

[maggie_4_7]

I am O Rhesus Positive the most common one you can get I believe.

And from memory there is a split of blood groups to ethnic groups across the world.

My mother was O Rhesus Negative and this type of blood is wanted a lot because from what I understand is that because O is common and has less components and being Rhesus Negative which is better than Positive you can actually use this type in an emergenty on anyone. Now if I am wrong or it is more complex that that then can someone explain.

Also I believe you get your blood group from your father!

And the Blue Baby thingy is when a Negative and Postive blood group mixes at conception!

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

You inherit your blood group from both parents.......

This site explains:

ABO Blood Types and Our Parents - BloodBook, Blood Information for Life

.......My dad was A neg and I am O neg (which is the universal donor group, as it can be given to anyone!). My mum is O neg like me.

And the blue blood thing refered to gran thinking she was of noble birth! (or royal, as she would say!!)

[Lynn The Forest Fan]

Your blood group comes from both parents, I remember this from Biology 'O' level. it gets a bit complicated but is all to do with genetics, A & B are both dominant over O

[Sue at the seaside]

You beat me to it Merry, the link that Darksecretz put up is a really good one for explaining the genetics of Blood group inheritance, Clearly explains that it is a 2 parent thing! I'd totally forgotten about that site, been mooching around on there for ages!

[maggie_4_7]

You inherit your blood group from both parents.......

This site explains:

ABO Blood Types and Our Parents - BloodBook, Blood Information for Life

.......My dad was A neg and I am O neg (which is the universal donor group, as it can be given to anyone!). My mum is O neg like me.

And the blue blood thing refered to gran thinking she was of noble birth! (or royal, as she would say!!)

Oh no I wasn't using the blue baby explanation to explain your granny's delusions of grandeur it was something I remember happening in my mothers family a lot that is all.

Ahh well then I expect that if you get both blood types there is going to be a time when they just don't work together very well if they are Negative and Postive etc etc.

As I said my mother was O Rh Negative and I am Positive both of which are needed a lot a) because O Postitive is so common and b) as I said before its okay to use on people in emergencies.

I've only managed to read a few pages the website so far a lot to take in at once.

Edit to say:

Having read the website Merry put up it seems that Universal Donor doesn't apply anymore which is interesting.

Blood Type Compatibility - BloodBook, Blood Information for Life

[Pamdidle]

I was at risk of a blue baby. As soon as my first baby was born l was given an injection, l think to stop my body making anti bodies that could affect any other chilkdren l might have. It didnt affect the first born. This was in the 1970's though, it is probably different now

[BigShaz McCreadie]

I'm curious to know if she inherited this blood group from her mother or her father and would her sisters have had the same blood group??

Kathsgirl,

You will already know from the other replies and the website that blood grouping is quite complex.

My Parents were both born in Glasgow, Scotland and both have the blood group A RH Pos.

Some of Dad's siblings are RH pos and some are RH neg and all are born to the same parents.

My sister is A RH pos just like our parents where as I am O RH pos.
Obviously both my parent's have the genotype A0 and when my sister was born they either both passed over the A or one passed over A and one passed the O.

O is recessive and with the A being dominant over the O my sister became A.
Her genotype may be AO or it may be AA.

When they made me..... I was the first by the way Then both parents must have passed down their recessive O (there is a one in four chance of this happening) so I know that my genotype is OO and all I could possibly pass to my children is O.

I only know the blood grouping of one of my children (because he's a donor) and he is O RH pos.

So either I was mum and dad's one in four chance or there is something I haven't been told.... :D

[kathsgirl.48]

No chance of me becoming a blood donor...I almost pass out when I have a blood test and bruise like hell.

9 times out of 10 they have to take it from both arms and even from the back of my hand once.

I think my veins know when a needle is comming...they seem to sink back down into the depths of my flesh! Plus I can't stand the sight of blood..even from a small cut..I'm on the floor.

Would they take blood from a MS suffer though?

I do admire anyone who donates blood. The blood transfusions service calls regularly at what was my place of work. At least half of my ex-colleagues donate their blood.

[Pippa Doll]

Just to add that I have inherited the recessive alleles from both my parents and have a different blood group to both of them - lol!

[Christine in Herts]

I believe that the "blue blood" of aristocrats arises form the fact that, historically, soft white skin was a prized badge of class, because it suggested that you didn't have to work out of doors or do any work to coarsen the skin.

Soft white skin allows even the fine veins to show - and vein blood through skin tends to look blue.

Christine

[BigShaz McCreadie]

Just to add that I have inherited the recessive alleles from both my parents and have a different blood group to both of them - lol!

Just like me then Pippa
Mum, Dad, Sister all A but I got the recessive O's :D

[JBee]

I'm O neg - OH is O pos

eldest is O neg
middle 2 O pos
youngest O neg

When I heard I was an O - thought that's the commonest blood group - then found I was in demand as an O neg!!!