Maternal Serum AFP Screening

Abstract

Noninvasive diagnostic or creening technics have obvious appeal. When such approaches in pregnancy yield important information about fetal health, the vigor with which they will be pursued can easily be anticipated. This situation has been noted since the advent of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) testing, which made it possible to suspect a fetal neural-tube defect (NTD) with a high degree of certainty.^{1 , 2} NTD's (about two per 1000 births) are among the most common major congenital malformations in the United States, over 6000 affected infants being born each year. Of the approximately half who survive the first 24 hours of life, . . .