20 Terace Review — Wednesday, June 29, 1988 a. Blood donor clinic [ set for next week | Contributed by Kay Parker WHEN: Wednesday, July 6, 1988 — 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Skeena Junior Sec- ondary School gymnasium, 3411 Munroe St., Terrace, B.C, Your blood may save a baby The blood you donate to the Red Crass could be used to save the life of a newborn baby. Newborn babies are transfused with blood if they are suffering from haemolytic disease of the newborn. Babies suffering severe cases Of this disease may require several transfusions. However, since babies require very little blood, one adult unit of blood is the equivalent of eight transfusions for the new- born baby. Haemolytic disease of the newborn can occur when the mother has Rh- blood, but the baby’s blood is Rh+. The Rh factor is an antigen that occurs in the red blood cells of 85 per- cent of Canadians. If you have the antigen you are Rh+, if you lack it you are Rh-. Haemolytic disease of the newborn develops if some of the baby’s blood enters the mother’s circulatory system through the placenta, When this happens the mother’s blood develops an an- tibody that attacks the Rh an- tigen. This antibody can cross - bs the placenta and enter the baby’s bloodstream where it will destroy the baby’s Rh+ red blood cells, If this happens the baby may develop anaemia or - jaundice and, in severe cases, the baby will die or be stillborn. ° Although the baby may carry the destructive antibody, the an- tibody can only survive for a short period of time. Thus, if the baby is given enough blood to outlast the attack by the anti- ae, body, the antibody will even- tually disappear and the baby will have a normal blood system, In addition to providing the blood for infant transfusions, the Red Cross provides free Rh investigative services for preg- nant women. These tests allow physicians to predict whether the. baby will be born with haemoly tic disease. Blood donors are also helping to prevent this disease. If an Rh— expectant mother has not yet developed antibodies to the Rh+ antigen, she can be treated with Rh immune globulin, a special blood component which prevents the formation of Rh antibodies. This component is collected from blood donors | whose blood already contains a high level of Rh antibodies. so Terrace resident Jim Westerman was recently presented with a certificate for having donated his 35th pint of blood. The recognition was given by Terrace Red Cross representa- tive Lois McDaniel (left) and City of Terrace Freeman Vesta Douglas. The site for the Facts about giving blood Who can give? Anyone who is in good health between the cages of 17 and up to their 66th birthday. We do have a weigh restriction of 100 pounds. How many pints of blood does a person have? An adult person depending on their body weight has about 12 pints. As you increase your weight so does the volume increase. The same goes for descreasing the body weight, you decrease the amount of blood. What is the most common blood group? The most common blood group is O Positive, which averages about 39 percent of our average population. What is the rarest type of blood? The rarest is AB Negative which averages about one out of every 200 people. How long does blood last? The red cells, which make up about 45 percent of your blood only is good for five weeks. Then they become old, and start breaking down. The shelf life of whole blood is 35 days. How often can I give? Every 90 days. How long does it take to give a pint of blood? Actual giving time varies from four to 10 minutes. How long does it take me to get my pint back? It takes 24 to 48 hours to replace the plasma portion, which is about 80 per- cent water, and three to five weeks to replace the red cells. Can I give blood if I just had a baby? You must wait six months after delivery. The same holds for any miscarriages, etc. It has to be six months. How much blood do you take? A donation of blood is 9/10 of a pint, 430 millilitres — only six to eight percent of the body’s blood volume. . Can you freeze blood? Yes, you can freeze blood, but it is an expensive procedure and we only do it’ for very rare donors. The blood is frozen at -80C and can be kept for many years. Should you eat before giving blood? Yes, we recommend that you eat before you give. We would like the donors to have a good sugar level in their blood before they donate. Why do you have to rest for 10 minutes after you give a donation? You should rest to allow your body to adjust to the. Joss of blood in your system and to make sure that the bleeding has stopped at the venepuncture site. What tests are done on the blood after it has been donated? About a dozen tests are performed to verify your blood group and type; they also screen for anti-bodies, as well as hepatitis, jaundice and venereal disease. Is there any such thing as artificial blood? There is an ar- tificial substitute for the red cells, which are the oxygen car- riers. But the need for other components of your blood will always meari your donations are required. ceremony was, appropriately enough, the city’s ambulance station. 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