Seeing your doctor early to begin prenatal care is an important part of preparing for the birth of your baby. There are tests designed to provide you and your doctor or midwife with information about your pregnancy and your developing fetus. Frequently this happens without warning, and families and doctors are not prepared for this difficult experience.
Screen is a test available to all women early in pregnancy.
This test can identify a woman with an increased risk to have a fetus with certain kinds of birth defects or to develop a problem later in pregnancy. A screen is called positive if the hormone levels are too high or too low compared to the normal levels for the week of pregnancy. Ask your doctor, midwife or nurse if this is the right time to have this blood test done. Alpha-fetoprotein is a substance produced by every fetus as it grows. This substance is passed into the amniotic fluid that surrounds the fetus and from there into the mother's bloodstream.