What is AFP used for prenatally?

Study liver anatomy and function with our medical students test. Engage with detailed multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Prepare effectively for your test!

Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein is used as a prenatal screening marker for open neural tube defects. AFP is produced by the fetus and crosses into the amniotic fluid and maternal blood. When the neural tube doesn’t close properly, AFP leaks into the amniotic fluid and into maternal circulation, causing elevated levels around mid-pregnancy. This rise prompts further investigation with detailed ultrasound and often amniocentesis to measure AFP in the amniotic fluid and sometimes acetylcholinesterase to confirm a neural tube defect. Other uses listed, like assessing lung maturity, determining fetal sex, or screening for preeclampsia, are not tasks AFP is used for.