title: Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein in fetal neural tube and abdominal wall defects at 10 to 14 weeks of gestation.
abstract: Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein concentration was determined in nine pregnancies with fetal anencephaly, seven with exomphalos containing liver, two with spina bifida and 100 normal controls at 10 to 14 weeks of gestation. The median alpha-fetoprotein in the group with fetal anencephaly and exomphalos was significantly higher than in normal fetuses but the sensitivity of this test is likely to be only about 30% for a false positive rate of 5%.
authors.affiliation: Harris Birthright Research Centre for Fetal Medicine, Kings College Hospital Medical School, London, UK.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Sebire
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Nicolaides
mesh_terms: D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000002:abnormalities*; D000757:Anencephaly / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006554:Hernia, Umbilical / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D009436:Neural Tube Defects / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins