The mechanism predicts a child’s possible blood type(s) based on the blood types of the parents. For instance, if one parent has blood type A and the other has blood type B, the offspring could potentially have blood type A, B, AB, or O, depending on the specific alleles inherited from each parent.
Understanding potential blood types is significant in several contexts. Historically, it was crucial for avoiding transfusion reactions. Today, it remains important in prenatal care, particularly when the mother is Rh-negative, to assess the risk of Rh incompatibility and hemolytic disease of the newborn. It also provides valuable genetic information for families.