Premium
Survival of infants with open spina bifida in relation to maternal serum ∞‐fetoprotein level
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1982.tb04624.x
Subject(s) - spina bifida , gestation , medicine , obstetrics , alpha fetoprotein , pediatrics , pregnancy , gynecology , biology , genetics , hepatocellular carcinoma
Summary. Thirteen centres collaborated to determine the relation between maternal serum ∞‐fetoprotein (AFP) levels and the survival and handicap of infants with open spina bifida. Data were collected on 97 pregnancies tested for maternal serum AFP at 10–24 weeks gestation which resulted in the birth of an infant with open spina bifida. Pregnancies with relatively high AFP levels were associated with decreased infant survival though the extent of handicap at 6 months was not significantly related to AFP level. The survival rate at 6 months was 13% (3/23) among infants born to women with AFP values in the highest of three groups, 32% (13/41) among women with values in the middle group and 45% (15/33) in the lowest AFP group (X 2 1 for trend 6.48, P <0.01). Antenatal screening of maternal serum AFP at 16–18 weeks gestation with a cut‐off level of 2.5 times the normal median would have detected about 68% of those who survived for at least 6 months compared with 79% of all open spina bifida pregnancies tested.