Study on cord blood alpha-feto protein as an index of maturity in neonates

ABSTRACT

A total of 45 healthy neonatal infants of different gestational ages were selected. Using simple random sample, their cord blood alpha fetoprotein [AFP] were estimated by radioimmunoassay [RIA] technique in order to evaluate the usefulness of AFP as a biochemical adjunct to various clinical and anthropometric means of assessing the degree of maturity in the newborns. There was a fall in AFP levels with advancing gestation and a significant degree of correlation between AFP and gestational age. AFP mean values were highest in preterm infants and lowest in post-term infants [P <0.01]. Also, a significant difference was found between AGA and term SGA. No correlation was obtained between AFP levels and birth weight. In conclusion, AFP is a useful maturity index, especially when taken into consideration with other clinical and anthropometric parameters