Outcome of Pregnancy in Relation to Maternal Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Levels in the Second Trimester

Abstract

120 women with elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in pregnancy week 16–17 were subsequently supervised every 4th week until a few days postpartum. A group of 102 women with normal (n = 78) or low (n = 24) serum AFP concentrations in pregnancy week 16–17 were studied in the same way. In the last week before parturition the AFP serum level declined and the decrease was more pronounced with increasing gestational duration up to pregnancy week 41. The AFP level relationship between the women was stable on average throughout the pregnancies. Smoking was found to be related to elevated maternal serum AFP levels in pregnancy week 16–17. Among mothers younger than 25 years, 72% of those with high or very high AFP serum levels in pregnancy week 16–17 were smokers. Among women with elevated or much elevated maternal serum AFP levels in pregnancy week 16–17, male fetuses predominated. But only those carrying female fetuses gave premature birth to small-for-date children. Further analysis of the data revealed that if such a woman was a multipara, there was a 54% risk of a small-for-date premature female baby. Other data indicate that this risk may be increased by smoking and maternal age. It is recommended that this category of mothers with elevated AFP in pregnancy week 16–17 is continuously supervised during pregnancy.

Serum screening with Down's syndrome markers to predict pre-eclampsia and small for gestational age: Systematic review and meta-analysis

“…There were 86 included studies for SGA [ 7 , 9 , 37 , 39 , 47 , 51 , 53 - 55 , 57 , 59 - 61 , 64 - 67 , 69 , 74 , 76 - 141 ], reporting on 382,005 women (20339 cases of SGA, incidence 5.32%). Among these studies, there were 61 cohort studies and 25 case control studies [ 53 , 55 , 76 , 77 , 82 - 85 , 88 , 89 , 94 , 96 , 97 , 104 , 113 , 116 , 119 , 123 - 125 , 130 , 131 , 133 , 135 , 140 ]. Thirty-one studies were prospective, 17 retrospective and 38 of unclear design.…”

Maternal Serum Levels of Estriol, Prolactin, Human Placental Lactogen and Chorionic Gonadotrophin Related to Fetal Sex in Normal and Abnormal Pregnancies

“…Ultra sound investigations were used to correct the estimated gestational age. The women who volunteered to partipicate comprised an unusually large proportion of women (n = 120) with increased afetoprotein (AFP) concentrations (mean 109 ng/1, range 83-116) in pregnancy weeks 16-17 [16].…”

Influences of maternal smoking and fetal sex on maternal serum oestriol, prolactin, hCG, and hPl levels

“…Differences in human placental lactogen (hPL) [4], human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) [15], prolactin [2], and oestriol [15,17] levels in maternal blood have been found when comparing smoking and non-smoking mothers. There has, however, been no study of individuals throughout pregnancy.…”