Glossary

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Maternal serum screening: Certain tests can be performed using your blood to detect substances from the fetus that could be a sign of a birth defect. All pregnant women are usually offered this test, which typically occurs between weeks 15 and 18 of your pregnancy. One of the more common substances tested is alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). If high levels of AFP show up, it could be a sign of a neural tube defect (such as spina bifida), which results when the brain or spinal cord doesn't develop normally. Low levels of AFP could be a sign of Down syndrome.