Alpha-fetoprotein, or AFP, is a protein found normally in abundance in the developing fetus. Only very low levels of the protein are present in healthy children and adults, except for pregnant women. Elevated blood levels of AFP can be associated with liver disease, certain kinds of cancer and abnormal pregnancies.
One common screening test is the AFP test, also called multiple marker screening or quadruple screening. This test, done at 15 to 20 weeks gestation, measures the levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin ...
AFP testing, also known by other names including multiple marker screening, assesses the chance for specific conditions in the baby. The first version of the test, available in the early 1980s, measured only one chemical, calle...
Gastroschisis is a birth defect of the abdominal wall that occurs in 1 out of 5,000 births. A small hole in the abdominal wall, usually less than 2 inches long, extends through the skin, usually to the right of the umbilical c...
