- Role of maternal serum AFP in screening .

 Role of maternal serum AFP in screening .

Elevated Maternal Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein (MSAFP) levels act as a screening marker rather than a definitive diagnosis. It indicates that further investigation is needed to determine the exact cause.

§A low maternal serum a-fetoprotein (MSAFP) level can be seen in trisomies 21, 18, and 13.

§A high MSAFP may be seen in:

1.Multiple gestation (the combined AFP production from multiple fetuses naturally results in a higher maternal serum reading.)

2.open neural tube defect (This is the most common clinical concern. Conditions like Spina Bifida or Anencephaly allow AFP to leak from the fetus’s tissues into the amniotic fluid and subsequently into the mother's bloodstream.)

3.Abdominal wall defect (as Gastroschisis or Omphalocele )

4.Impending fetal death (the breakdown of fetal tissues leads to a significant release of AFP into the maternal circulation.)

5.congenital nephrosis (cause a spike in AFP levels.)

6.epidermolysis bullosa.

False-positive elevations of maternal serum AFP (i.e., high maternal serum value with a structurally normal fetus) suggest placental microabruptions, or loss of integrity of the maternofetal barrier, and forecast a higher rate of fetal morbidity .

 Dr Ibrahim Samaha