[Correlation between elevated maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein, certain pregnancy complications and fetal death]

In a prospective epidemiological study of 23,792 singleton pregnancies the authors investigated the relationship between elevated maternal serum alfa-fetoprotein level and the risk of pathological pregnancy outcome. It has been found that elevated level of maternal alfa-fetoprotein (above 2.5 MoM) is associated with a higher risk of pathological pregnancies and an increased risk of subsequent fetal death. Physicians should be aware of the benefits of the maternal alpha-fetoprotein screening not only in the context of prenatal detection of congenital defects, but also in early identification of increased risk of certain obstetric complications.