Does anyone have number results for their Expanded AFP screen? And if so can you please post them? Thanks!?

Question

I recieved my AFP report and I dont understand it. The DR only told me that I have a 1 in 300 chance of my son having downs syndrome. With my age, she said it should be 1 in 1000. If this makes any sense to ya'll here are the #s I got: AFP MoM 000.58 based on 0021.18 ng/ml. hCG MoM 001.69 based on 0050.23 IU/ml. uE3 MoM 000.68 based on 0000.71 ng/ml. MoM = Multiple of Median. My Dr, didn't explain much except that I should have a Level 2 Ultrasound, which I did that on Tuesday with a Perinatoligist. I am still waiting on a report from the results of the Ultrasound. They said they have to mail them to me after the Dr signs off the report. I am only 23 and this is my second baby. I dont remember what the results from my first pregnancy were, except they had to be normal since I dont remember worrying about it. And it was also 6yrs ago that she was born. Any info you can provide me with is greatly appreciated. And by the way, I am in good health and so is the father of my son. Thanks!

Answer 1

The risk for Down syndrome is based on the pattern of the MoM values. The "normal" MoM value is 1.0. AFP is made by the baby's liver. uE3 is made by the baby's adrenal glands. hCG is made by the placenta. Some babies with Down syndrome will show a pattern of AFP low, hCG high, uE3 low. HOWEVER, there are plenty of babies without Down syndrome who will show the same pattern in their mother's blood. The test is designed to roughly divide pregnant women into two groups. 95% fall into the screen negative group (low risk) and 5% fall into the screen positive group (high risk). Most of the women who fall into the screen positive group have babies who do NOT have Down syndrome. According to your test result, there is less than a 0.5% chance that your baby has Down syndrome.

Important: 80% of babies with Down syndrome are born to women in their 20's. Although women in their late 30's and 40's are more likely to have a baby with Down syndrome, it could certainly happen in your 20's. Also, Down syndrome rarely runs in families. Most cases of Down syndrome happen "accidentally" when eggs and sperm are being made. Women have hundreds of thousands of eggs and men make billions of sperm. Now and then an egg or sperm will have an extra chromosome #21 that causes Down syndrome. The AFP test is designed to help you know if you might be that one person who is carrying a baby with Down syndrome by chance.

I know that this will not be very reassuring, but you need to understand that a normal sonogram does not mean that the baby won't have Down syndrome. Sonograms look for birth defects. Not all babies with Down syndrome have birth defects. If you want a test that is 99.8% accurate, you need to think about having an amniocentesis. That is a personal decision. Ask to speak to a genetic counselor at the perinatologist's office who can help you understand the risks of this situation better and whether or not additional testing should be considered.

Keep in mind, there is a 99.5% chance that your baby will NOT have Down syndrome. This is based on what you've written about your test results.

Answer 2

The AFP gives back many false positives and false negatives. There are other ways to tell if a baby has Down Syndrome on a sonogram. They can look at the baby's hand around 20 weeks and if the baby is missing the upper joint of the pinky (there are three...the knuckle at the hand, the middle knuckle, and the joint below the fingernail in people w/o DS), there can be an extremely large gap between the big toe and the next toe, a small femur, and a single artery umbilical cord. Chances are, the high risk doctors is right. If the nuchal fold is not abnormal, chances are, the baby doesn't have DS. I know it would be hard not to worry, but you really can't let it stress you out too much. He would have definitely told you if something was wrong. Are you 100% sure about your dates? My doctor was telling me that they worry about WEEKS behind, not days. Please just take what your doctor told you as there is nothing wrong and get ready for a healthy, happy, and beautiful baby :)

Answer 3

Well I don't know about AFP but I hope everything is fine for your baby. I'm pregnant and I done a test like that for down syndrome a few months ago and I didn't have to do all that. that you are telling us. The Dr. told me I came back fine. I would call or stop by when the cliin is open. And show them the paper and explain it to you. Well hope everything comes back fine.

Answer 4

That number means that you have the possobility of your baby having down syndrome, but it doesn't mean your baby has it. The same thing happened to me when I was pregnant of my second baby, I had an ultrasound done, and the reason my test came out like that was because I was 14 weeks pregnant, instead of 16. So if they don't know exactly how far along you are it can make your test come out like that, an ultrasound will help.

Answer 5

that test does not mean your child has downs it just means theres a chance, the only way to know for certain is to get an amniosintesis and if your going to have this baby no matter what then theres no need to get that test in the first place. try not to worry so much. my friend also got the same results and her baby was fine

Answer 6

stop worring my 24 year old daughter has 3 children and every one of them they told her she had a chance at them having downs even though i am not a DR i think there full of **** your not even a candidate for a child with downs check the web site for the most common women that have kids with downs there older or have a family history good luck

Answer 7

srry gurl wish i could help but i have no idea what u is talkin about afp report