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α‐Fetoprotein elevation and proteinuric pre‐eclampsia
Author(s) -
WALTERS B. N. J.,
LAO TERENCE,
SMITH VALERIE,
SWIET MICHAEL
Publication year - 1985
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.1471-0528.1985.tb01106.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pregnancy , abnormality , obstetrics , abortion , eclampsia , retrospective cohort study , gynecology , genetics , psychiatry , biology
Summary. In a retrospective study of pregnancy complicated by unexplained elevation of maternal serum α‐fetoprotein (AFP), 60 patients were compared with 120 control subjects. Proteinuric pre‐eclampsia occurred in 13% of the study patients compared with 1% of the control subjects. Primiparity, previous mid‐trimester abortion and recurrent abortions were also significantly more common in the study group. It is proposed that an abnormality of the placenta predisposes to complications and that this abnormality is expressed early in pregnancy when the AFP level is first measured. This group of women is at high risk of adverse pregnancy outcome and requires careful monitoring.