Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and previous neural tube defects.
A case-control study involving 63 pregnancies showed that women who had previously had an infant with anencephaly or spina bifida did not have raised serum alpha-fetroprotein (AFP) levels in subsequent unaffected pregnancies. The value of a serum AFP determination in such women is discussed. If the...
Main Authors: | , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Journal article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
1976
|
_version_ | 1797095226151534592 |
---|---|
author | Wald, N Barker, S Peto, R Brock, D Bonnar, J |
author_facet | Wald, N Barker, S Peto, R Brock, D Bonnar, J |
author_sort | Wald, N |
collection | OXFORD |
description | A case-control study involving 63 pregnancies showed that women who had previously had an infant with anencephaly or spina bifida did not have raised serum alpha-fetroprotein (AFP) levels in subsequent unaffected pregnancies. The value of a serum AFP determination in such women is discussed. If the serum AFP level is normal and if ultrasonography excludes anencephaly the risk of spina bifida might be low enough (about 1 per cent) to make diagnostic amniocentesis difficult to justify. Conversely, a high serum AFP value in such women should not be acted on without confirmation of an abnormality by ultrasonography and, if that is negative, by diagnostic amniocentesis. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-07T04:24:49Z |
format | Journal article |
id | oxford-uuid:cc42ef4c-cf22-4b7d-bf85-197ed33085e1 |
institution | University of Oxford |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-07T04:24:49Z |
publishDate | 1976 |
record_format | dspace |
spelling | oxford-uuid:cc42ef4c-cf22-4b7d-bf85-197ed33085e12022-03-27T07:20:33ZMaternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and previous neural tube defects.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:cc42ef4c-cf22-4b7d-bf85-197ed33085e1EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford1976Wald, NBarker, SPeto, RBrock, DBonnar, JA case-control study involving 63 pregnancies showed that women who had previously had an infant with anencephaly or spina bifida did not have raised serum alpha-fetroprotein (AFP) levels in subsequent unaffected pregnancies. The value of a serum AFP determination in such women is discussed. If the serum AFP level is normal and if ultrasonography excludes anencephaly the risk of spina bifida might be low enough (about 1 per cent) to make diagnostic amniocentesis difficult to justify. Conversely, a high serum AFP value in such women should not be acted on without confirmation of an abnormality by ultrasonography and, if that is negative, by diagnostic amniocentesis. |
spellingShingle | Wald, N Barker, S Peto, R Brock, D Bonnar, J Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and previous neural tube defects. |
title | Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and previous neural tube defects. |
title_full | Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and previous neural tube defects. |
title_fullStr | Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and previous neural tube defects. |
title_full_unstemmed | Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and previous neural tube defects. |
title_short | Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and previous neural tube defects. |
title_sort | maternal serum alpha fetoprotein and previous neural tube defects |
work_keys_str_mv | AT waldn maternalserumalphafetoproteinandpreviousneuraltubedefects AT barkers maternalserumalphafetoproteinandpreviousneuraltubedefects AT petor maternalserumalphafetoproteinandpreviousneuraltubedefects AT brockd maternalserumalphafetoproteinandpreviousneuraltubedefects AT bonnarj maternalserumalphafetoproteinandpreviousneuraltubedefects |