What is maternal serum screening?
The maternal serum multiple marker test is a prenatal screening test using blood from the mother that can help identify women who may be carrying a baby with certain types of birth defects (such as neural tube defects, Down syndrome, and trisomy 18 syndrome). This test should be offered to all pregnant women regardless of age. Maternal serum screening is available to any pregnant woman between 15 and 21 weeks of pregnancy (counting from the first day of the last menstrual period). Women 35 years of age or older should be offered other diagnostic testing such as amniocentesis. This blood test provides information about your developing baby. The maternal serum multiple marker test measures at least three markers found in the mother s blood: alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and unconjugated estriol. These substances are made by the developing baby and the placenta. The levels of these markers can be analyzed through a simple blood sample. Certain birth defects c
