WHAT IS A MATERNAL SERUM MULTIPLE MARKER SCREENING TEST?
This is a blood test for a pregnant woman. A screening test helps to identify which pregnancies may benefit from additional testing. A normal screening test means the chance of certain birth defects being present is greatly reduced. It is called a multiple marker test because from one blood sample, three different chemicals are measured (AFP, estriol, HCG). HOW DOES THE TEST WORK? Certain chemicals or “markers” are measured in the blood of a pregnant woman. Either too much or too little of these markers suggest the possibility of birth defects. This is called a positive screen. WHAT CAUSES A POSITIVE SCREEN? There can be many reasons for a positive result. It is important to remember that most pregnancies with a positive result are normal. Further testing may show that the woman’s due date should be changed. It can mean a woman is carrying twins. It can also mean that a pregnancy is at higher risk for problems such as premature birth or miscarriage. Rarely, it indicates that a birth de
