Second-trimester maternal serum screening for Down syndrome in in vitro fertilization pregnancies

To examine whether second-trimester maternal serum triple marker screening results differ between in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancies and naturally conceived pregnancies.

Second-trimester maternal serum triple marker screening results from 88 IVF pregnancies were compared with 596 naturally conceived pregnancies (controls). Controls were matched to each IVF pregnancy by maternal age, gestational age and date of blood collection. All pregnancies in the study were known to have normal outcome. Multiple of the median (MoM) levels of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), unconjugated estriol (uE3) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and the false-positive rate for Down syndrome were compared between the two groups.

No statistically significant differences in analyte levels or in Down syndrome false-positive rate were observed between the IVF and naturally conceived pregnancies.

IVF patients can be counselled about maternal serum triple marker screening in the same manner as patients with naturally conceived pregnancies. There is no evidence to support the general use of analyte correction factors in the interpretation of second-trimester maternal serum screen results in IVF pregnancies.