Background: Abnormal levels of the markers AFP, hCG, and uE3 could be useful in predicting adverse pregnancy outcomes. This study was designed to determine the correlation between second trimester maternal serum markers and adverse pregnancy outcome (APO). Methods: In this historical cohort study, we randomly followed 231 obstetric patients with quadruple screening test in 14-18 weeks of ges...

The performance of prenatal screening tests for the identification of trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) has markedly improved since the 1970s and early 1980s when maternal age was the sole mode of screening the general pregnant population. With the discovery of second trimester serum markers in the 1980s and 1990s and implementation of double, triple, and quad marker testing; the discovery of first tr...

Maternal serum afetoprotein in multiples of the median FIG 4-Absolute probability of carrying babies with Down's syndrome at maternal serum ct fetoprotein concentrations according to maternal age at expected date of delivery. (*Probability calculated by two previous reports.4 5) With a screening programme to identify a group of mothers at increased risk of a pregnancy with Down's syndrome, it i...

Background: The maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein test (MSAFP) was developed to screen for neural tube defects. Little is known about the adoption of the MSAFP test. This study examines the effect of provider specialty and geographic location and patient insurance status on MSAFP test use in Washington State. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of MSAFP use in low-risk obstetric p...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the additional value of dimeric inhibin-A serum concentration in second trimester multiple-marker screening tests for pregnancies affected by Down's syndrome. We anticipated that second trimester maternal serum dimeric inhibin-A concentrations would be altered in pregnancies complicated by fetal Down's syndrome and that dimeric inhibin-A would perform bette...

OBJECTIVE To estimate the value of first or second trimester placental growth factor (PlGF) as an additional antenatal screening marker for Down syndrome. DESIGN Nested case-control study. SETTING Antenatal screening service. POPULATION OR SAMPLE 532 Down syndrome pregnancies and 1,155 matched unaffected pregnancies. METHODS Stored maternal serum samples (-40°C) were assayed for PlGF. M...

BACKGROUND In 1968 the first antenatal diagnosis of Down's syndrome was made and screening on the basis of selecting women of advanced maternal age for amniocentesis was gradually introduced into medical practice. In 1983 it was shown that low maternal serum alpha fetoprotein (AFP) was associated with Down's syndrome. Later, raised maternal serum human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), and low unc...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate which Down syndrome screening strategy is the most cost-effective. METHODS Using decision-analysis modeling, we compared the cost-effectiveness of 9 screening strategies for Down syndrome: 1) no screening, 2) first-trimester nuchal translucency (NT) only, 3) first-trimester combined NT and serum screen, 4) first-trimester serum only, 5) quadruple screen, 6) integrated sc...

OBJECTIVES To estimate improvements to four antenatal screening tests for Down's syndrome (first trimester Combined, second trimester Quadruple, and first and second trimester Integrated and Serum Integrated tests) based on adding ductus venosus pulsatility index (DVPI), fetal nasal bone examination (NBE) and serum placental growth factor (PlGF). SETTING Statistical analysis of data from seve...

OBJECTIVE To examine the distribution of maternal serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and free β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) at 12, 22 and 32 weeks' gestation in singleton pregnancies which develop pre-eclampsia (PE) and examine the performance of these biomarkers in screening for PE. METHODS Serum PAPP-A and free β-hCG were measured in 94 989 cases at 11-13 weeks, 7...