Shulman L P, Phillips O P, Cervetti T A
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tennessee, Memphis 38103-2896, USA.
Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1996 Mar;174(3):1072-4. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9378(96)70353-8.
Our purpose was to assess the effect of multifetal pregnancy reduction on maternal serum levels of analytes used for screening low-risk women for fetal chromosome abnormalities and neural tube defects.
Peripheral blood samples were obtained between 15.09 and 20.9 weeks' gestation from 10 consecutive women who had undergone first-trimester multifetal pregnancy reduction. The samples were assayed for levels of alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, and unconjugated estriol. Analyte concentrations were interpreted within our maternal serum screening program.
Levels of alpha-fetoprotein were significantly elevated in all samples. In each pregnancy levels of human chorionic gonadotropin and unconjugated estriol were consistent with the number of continuing gestations.
First-trimester multifetal reduction does not alter second-trimester levels of human chorionic gonadotropin and unconjugated estriol. Further study is needed to determine whether these analytes could be used to screen pregnancies for fetal chromosome abnormalities after first-trimester multifetal reduction.
