[Antenatal screening for neural tube defect by measuring alphafetoprotein in dried blood eluates (author's transl)].

Alphafetoprotein (AFP) was measured during pregnancy in dried blood eluates. Normal values (50th percentile) were established from 5,000 women throughout their pregnancies. AFP levels progressively increase from the 6th week (3.0 ng/ml whole blood) to the 32 week (124.0), then decrease slowly (70.1). Correlations between serum AFP and AFP from eluates is highly significant (p less than 0.001). Preservation of blood samples on blotting paper is good. An experimental screening of more than 1,500 pregnant women detected one case of anencephaly.