quick clicks

pregnancy today articles

pregnancy today q&a

message boards

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

AFP

Alpha-fetoprotein Screening (AFP)/Enhanced AFP

By Sharon Waldrop

"Inhibin A and HCG protein hormone levels tend to be high and ASP and estriol protein hormone levels tend to be low in the event of a fetus with Down syndrome," Dr. Canick says. Please note that although the new ability to check this fourth hormone increases the accuracy of the test, an abnormal result may not be a sure sign of fetal abnormalities. The AFP Quad test is not yet available in all areas.

Steve and Marian King from Long Beach, Calif., were delighted to find out that they were expecting their third child. The good news came at a difficult time for the couple. Marian's mother was terminally ill and Marian spent the first several weeks of her pregnancy at her mother's bedside

The couple received an abnormal AFP test result two weeks after Marian's mother passed away. Marian and Steve were referred to a genetic counselor and were fortunate enough to get an appointment the very next day. The plan was that the counselor would meet with Marian and Steve for an hour, then an ultrasound would be performed to view the fetus. Within a few moments into the ultrasound, Steve asked, "Do I see two heads?" Five months later, Marian gave birth to healthy twin boys.