Abstract
Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were higher in 10 twin pregnancies and one triplet pregnancy than in 22 control singleton pregnancies matched for maternal age, parity, and the time of gestation at which the serum sample was taken. In twin pregnancies the average AFP levels were double those found in singleton pregnancies and the level in the triplet pregnancy was even higher. Raised maternal serum AFP values due to multiple pregnancy should not cause unnecessary amniocentesis in the diagnosis of anencephaly or spina bifida if an ultrasound investigation is routinely performed first.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Brock D. J., Bolton A. E., Scrimgeour J. B. Prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida and anencephaly through maternal plasma-alpha-fetoprotein measurement. Lancet. 1974 Apr 27;1(7861):767–769. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(74)92839-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Garoff L., Seppälä M. Alpha fetoprotein and human placental lactogen levels in maternal serum in multiple pregnancies. J Obstet Gynaecol Br Commonw. 1973 Aug;80(8):695–700. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1973.tb16052.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ishiguro T. Letter: Alpha-fetoprotein in twin pregnancy. Lancet. 1973 Nov 24;2(7839):1214–1214. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(73)92989-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Leck I. Causation of neural tube defects: clues from epidemiology. Br Med Bull. 1974 May;30(2):158–163. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.bmb.a071187. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Seppälä M., Ruoslahti E. Radioimmunoassay of maternal serum alpha fetoprotein during pregnancy and delivery. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1972 Jan 15;112(2):208–212. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(72)90117-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wald N. J., Brock D. J., Bonnar J. Prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida and anencephaly by maternal serum-alpha-fetoprotein measurement. A controlled study. Lancet. 1974 Apr 27;1(7861):765–767. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(74)92838-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]