What produces AFP prenatally?

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AFP that is measured during pregnancy is produced by the fetus, mainly by the fetal liver (and also by the yolk sac) during gestation. This fetal production enters the fetal circulation and crosses into the maternal bloodstream through the placenta, which is why maternal serum AFP reflects fetal synthesis. The other options aren’t the source of AFP: the maternal liver doesn’t produce the fetal AFP, placental tissue isn’t the main producer (it’s more a conduit for transfer), and umbilical cord blood is the fetal blood that carries AFP, not its production site.