Pregnancy outcomes regarding maternal serum AFP value in second trimester screening

Area of Science:

• Maternal-fetal medicine
• Biochemical markers in pregnancy
• Prenatal screening

Background:

• Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MS-AFP) is a biochemical marker used in prenatal screening.
• Its predictive value for various pregnancy outcomes requires ongoing evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the predictive capability of MS-AFP for diverse pregnancy outcomes.
• To analyze the association between MS-AFP levels and fetal development and complications.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of pregnancy and delivery data from 5520 women (1999-2014).
• Categorization of MS-AFP into elevated (>2.5 MoM), normal (0.5-2.49 MoM), and decreased (<0.5 MoM) levels.
• Correlation of MS-AFP levels with fetal malformations, intrauterine fetal death (IUFD), intrauterine growth retardation, and neonatal characteristics.

Main Results:

• Elevated MS-AFP was linked to significantly lower newborn weight, length, and gestational age at delivery.
• Pregnancies with elevated MS-AFP showed a higher incidence of adverse outcomes (26.1%), including fetal malformations, SGA, and IUFD.
• Adverse outcomes were observed in 5.6% of normal MS-AFP and 7.3% of low MS-AFP pregnancies (P<0.05).

Conclusions:

• Second-trimester MS-AFP remains a valuable indicator for fetal surface malformations, though ultrasound is superior for screening.
• Pregnant women with elevated MS-AFP and normal ultrasound findings should undergo a third-trimester ultrasound to rule out other pregnancy complications.