title: Alpha 1-fetoprotein (AFP) reference values in infants up to 2 years of age.
abstract: The aim of this study was to establish reference values and factors associated with serum AFP elevation in infants. Five hundred twenty-four samples collected from infants up to the age of 2 years at the University Hospital Düsseldorf (Germany) were analyzed. At birth mean serum AFP levels were 41,687 ng/ml in 256 term babies and 158,125 ng/ml in 90 premature babies born before the 37th gestational week, excluding samples from children with factors known to be associated with AFP elevation. In the first 4 weeks of life, AFP levels decreased by 50% in 5.1 days in term babies. Between day 180 and 720 of life, AFP levels up to 87 ng/ml were within the 95.5% interval (assumed logarithmic normal distribution) with a mean of 8 ng/ml without a further decline. By the age of 2 years the infants of this study had not reached adult serum AFP levels (0-6 ng/ml).
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital, Heinrich Heine University Medical Centre, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Blohm
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vesterling-Hörner
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calaminus
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Göbel
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000097:blood; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood; D012016:Reference Values; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins