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Maternal serum alpha‐fetoprotein, fetal middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity and fetal haemoglobin in pregnancies at risk of fetal anaemia
Author(s) -
Bartha Jose L.,
Illanes Sebastian,
AbdelFattah Sherif A.,
Harrison Gayle,
Soothill Peter W.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
prenatal diagnosis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.956
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1097-0223
pISSN - 0197-3851
DOI - 10.1002/pd.1351
Subject(s) - fetus , medicine , middle cerebral artery , obstetrics , pregnancy , biology , genetics , ischemia
Objectives To evaluate the relationships between maternal serum alpha‐fetoprotein (MSAFP) levels and both middle cerebral artery (MCA) peak systolic velocity and fetal haemoglobin in women at risk of fetal anaemia. Methods Forty‐one measurements of MSAFP were carried out in 22 women at risk of fetal anaemia (16 alloimmunised patients and 6 cases of parvovirus infection) who were monitored by using MCA Doppler measurements. The relationships between MSAFP (MoM) and both MCA peak systolic velocity ( z ‐scores) and fetal haemoglobin (MoM) were studied. Results There were significant correlations between MSAFP and both MCA Doppler measurements ( r = 0.56, p = 0.00017) and fetal haemoglobin ( n = 13, r = −0.71, p = 0.006). MSAFP was higher in cases with fetal anaemia ( n = 10) than in those with normal haemoglobin levels ( n = 3) (1.7 ± 0.4 vs 0.8 ± 0.1 MoM; p = 0.006). In cases of alloimmunised pregnancies with fetal anaemia, MSAFP elevations preceded the presence of increased MCA Doppler velocity by 2.7 weeks (range 0–9 weeks). Conclusion MSAFP is significantly correlated with both MCA Doppler measurements and fetal haemoglobin. Elevations of MSAFP may appear earlier than MCA Doppler abnormalities in cases of fetal anaemia associated with red blood cell alloimmunisation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.