ISSN:
1471-0528
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
A series of tests for the supervision of pregnancy was evaluated in a prospective study of 93 randomly chosen women. Sixteen of these women (index group) had previously defined complications of pregnancy and/or infants of low birth weight due to preterm delivery or intrauterine growth retardation; the rest provided a normal control group. From the 17th week, fetal cephalometry ultrasound and maternal blood sampling were done every three weeks throughout pregnancy, an average of 9.4 times in every woman. Determinations of the plasma concentrations of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), total oestriol, human placental lactogen (hPL), and human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) were later made radioimmunoassays. Deviation of the fetal biparietal diameter more than 3 mm from the expected value was considered abnormal; the normal distributions of plasma levels of the fetal protein and the hormones were established in the local population. The five test parameters remained normal during gestation in the entire control group. Twelve women of the index group had an abnormal level of one or more tests on at least one occasion. Eight fetuses had an impaired growth of the biparietal diameter. AFP levels were above normal in nine women, oestriol values were below normal in three, hPL fell below the normal range in one, and hCG remained normal in the entire index group. AFP levels in maternal plasma and fetal cephalometry seemed to have the highest predictive value for pregnancy complications and the well-being of the newborn; the lag times from the first positive test result to the onset of clinical signs were 6.6 and 6.1 weeks, respectively. For the prediction of low birth weight, measurement of the AFP concentration in maternal plasma, when done serially during pregnancy, can be substituted for fetal cephalometry.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-0528.1980.tb04421.x
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