Medication effects on midtrimester maternal serum screening

To determine whether medication classes are associated with alterations in concentrations of Quad screen analytes or the screen-positive rate.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of women with singleton gestations who received prenatal care and had a Quad screen performed in the University of Alabama at Birmingham system. Information on prescription medications was abstracted. Mean multiples of the medians for each analyte (alpha-fetoprotein, estriol, human chorionic gonadotropin, and inhibin A) and overall screening results were compared between those taking the class of medication and controls not taking any medications.

There were 6206 women evaluated; 1337 took at least 1 prescription medicine and 4869 were controls. Mean analyte multiples of the medians were significantly different in women taking some medications compared with controls. Women taking certain medications had an increased screen-positive rate.

Medications taken around the time of maternal serum screening are associated with alterations in individual analyte multiples of the medians, as well as the screen-positive rates.