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First trimester maternal serum alpha‐fetoprotein in fetal trisomies
Author(s) -
Brizot M. L.,
Kuhn P.,
Bersinger N. A.,
Snijders R. J. M.,
Nicolaides K. H.
Publication year - 1995
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.1471-0528.1995.tb09022.x
Subject(s) - trisomy , fetus , obstetrics , medicine , pregnancy , gestation , alpha fetoprotein , aneuploidy , down syndrome , gynecology , biology , chromosome , genetics , psychiatry , hepatocellular carcinoma , gene
ABSTRACT Objective To evaluate the potential value of maternal serum alpha‐fetoprotein concentration in the detection of fetal trisomy at 10 to 13 weeks gestation and to examine the possible association between maternal serum alpha‐fetoprotein and fetal nuchal translucency thickness. Design Cross‐sectional study. Setting Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine, King's College Hospital Medical School, London. Subjects and methods Maternal serum alpha‐fetoprotein concentration was measured at 10 to 13 weeks gestation in samples from 57 pregnancies with fetal trisomies (trisomy 21 ( n = 35 ), trisomy 18 ( n = 16 ), and trisomy 13 ( n = 6 )) in 228 matched controls in whom the fetal nuchal translucency was < 3 mm and in 114 chromosomally normal fetuses with translucency ≥3 mm. Results In the control group maternal serum alpha‐fetoprotein increased significantly with fetal crown‐rump length ( r = 0 .451). In this group, the median maternal serum alpha‐fetoprotein was not significantly different from that in the groups with trisomy 21 (median = 0.84 MOM), trisomy 18 (median = 0.86 MOM), or trisomy 13 (median = 0.94 MOM), respectively. Neither in the control group nor in the group with trisomic fetuses was maternal serum alpha‐fetoprotein significantly associated with fetal nuchal translucency thickness ( r = 0 .01 and r = 0 .03). Conclusion Measurement of maternal serum alpha‐fetoprotein concentration in the first trimester of pregnancy is not likely to be useful in the prediction of fetal trisomies.