Did you have the Alpha Fetoprotein test done during your pregnancy?

[bleedingheart]

Poll question: Did you have the Alpha Fetoprotein test done during your pregnancy?

"AFP is a protein normally produced by the liver and yolk sac of a fetus. AFP levels decrease soon after birth; AFP probably has no normal function in adults.

AFP is measured to:

diagnose or monitor fetal distress or fetal abnormalities
diagnose some liver disorders
screen for and monitor some cancers.
During pregnancy, this test, along with the examination of amniotic fluid (amniocentesis), can help detect fetal spina bifida or other defects of the fetus' neural tube associated with elevated levels of AFP."
http://health.allrefer.com/health/alpha-fetoprotein-info.html

This test is done to help determine if a fetus is affected by certain severe disorders. In the state of Pennsylvania it is done around 17 weeks of gestation which is 3 weeks shy of the cut off for a legal abortion, without having to justify that the mother's health or the fetus is damaged beyond repair.

I just found out today that a coworker of mine had a doctor dissuade her from taking this test because as she stated,..."he said it normally is a waste of time and most of the time it generates false positives and that the sonogram was enough to diagnose most problems".

Hmmmm...a waste of time....

What are your thoughts?
Personally I had it done with both pregnancies.

[Maddy McCall]

1. It's NOT a waste of time...

And I would be wary of any OB who said it is.

[bleedingheart]

3. I wholeheartedly agree.

she was a bit stupified when I told her that a friend of mine had the test done and through it found out that her son had spina bifida. My friend had her child and due to the test had come to term with both the idea that she was having a child with a disability and how to treat the disorder once the baby was born.

[SarahB]

2. I declined it.

I had my children in my 20's and mathematically there was a greater likelihood of a false positive leading to a potential loss in an amniocentesis than of a genetic defect. If I ever got pregnant again, since I'm older (33 now and doubt I'd even consider the possibility for a number of years), I likely would.

[American in Asia]

7. I had the test done

but declined the amniocentesis. The blood test itself was inconclusive, and the doctor suggested an amnio. Since I was at an increased risk for miscarriage from the amnio (Rh incompatability with husband, and likely for the baby as well), and was at low risk for genetic defects, and was unlikely to have an abortion in any event(personal choice, not public policy position, for the record!), I declined the amnio.

[BrklynLiberal]

4. Makes me wonder if her doctor isn't more concerned about whether

the cost is adequately covered enough for HIM to consider it worthwhile. Sorry, but I guess I am cynical.

[Maddy McCall]

5. Exactly what I thought.

[rebecca_herman]

6. Not sure what I'd do

I definitley want kids, but not for a number of years, and by then there may be a better option. So I really don't know. And if I somehow had a baby very soon (not really possible, I have no interest in a relationship at the moment, just trying to concentrate on school) I'd probably not due to being so young the odds of a problem are too small to make the stress of it worth it. It is true that there will usually be an indication of chromosomal abnormalities on the ultrasound, though, as they almost always cause problems with the development of the brain and the major organs.

[gollygee]

8. I had every damn test available done

they let me know up front that it's more of a screening for potential of having problems than an actual test. I think renaming it "screening" would help a lot. It isn't intended to be a test - it's intended to let doctors know who needs further testing.

[Danmel]

9. I had the AFP test

And when I was pregnant with my second child, I had an amnio- not becuase of any problem with the AFP- I was just older.

The AFP is a screening procedure- it is not a test- my Ob-Gyn told me as much and that was 15 and 11 years ago for my pregnancies.

It can indicate either neural tube defects or downs and I wanted to have an idea of what was happening and information to make informed decisions about my pregnancies.

I don't know what I might have decided had the amnio shown a problem, but it didn't so I'll never know. I would not presume to make those choices for anyone else and think women and men should be able to make informed decisions about their reproductive lives and their families.