Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP)

MSAFP is an indicator of the presence of AFP (a plasma protein normally produced by the fetus) in the mother's blood. MSAFP serves as the basis for some valuable tests.

AFP is manufactured principally in the fetus's liver and, also, in the fetal gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the yolk sac. The level of AFP is usually high in the fetus's blood, goes down in the baby's blood after birth, and by age one is virtually undetectable.

During pregnancy, AFP crosses the placenta from the fetal circulation and appears in the mother's blood. The level of AFP in the mother's blood (the MSAFP) provides a screening test for a number of disorders including:

The maternal serum AFP (MSAFP) tends to be:
  • High with open neural tube defects such as anencephaly and spina bifida (meningomyelocele)
  • Low with Down syndrome (trisomy 21, an extra chromosome number 21)
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