The test, called a multiple marker screen, showed a higher than normal chance that her baby would have Down syndrome. It was two weeks before an ultrasound showed the fetus was healthy. Lampert, like many women, didn't realize just how often prenatal tests generate false alarms. Most pregnant women in the United States undergo one or several tests for Down syndrome and other fetal ailments, and new screens are on the way. For most couples, the chances of having a healthy baby are comfortingly high.
Bad news can be devastating.
Some 5 percent to 10 percent of couples shun prenatal testing because they would never consider an abortion. But even they can benefit from testing. And a negative test result can offer peace of mind. AFP is a fetal protein found in the mother's bloodstream. The higher the AFP reading, the greater the chance that the fetus has spina bifida, also called neural tube defect.