MATERNAL AGE-DEPENDENT AND SEX-RELATED CHANGES OF GESTATIONAL SERUM ALPHA-FETOPROTEIN

Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) concentration values were mea sured in relation to maternal age and fetal sex in the 16th to 20th ge stational weeks in samples taken from 9,556 pregnancies with the outco me of live, mature and healthy infants. Our results show positive sign ificance between MSAFP concentration and maternal age (p < 0.001); we also found significantly higher AFP values in male fetuses than in fem ale fetuses (p < 0.001). This specificity is by all probability due to the change in the physiologic AFP concentration of the pregnant woman . Considering maternal age and the new percentile AFP values, cut-off concentration values can be corrected, thus the quality of routine AFP screening can be improved. At the same time, with the application of the above parameters, a more effective selection of pregnancies at hig h risk for Down syndrome can be achieved.