+ Afp

A friend of mine also had a positive AFP test result, and it ended up being a false positive. Her daughter was just fine when she was born. However, another friend had a negative AFP result, but her baby ended up having Downs (she opted not to have an amnio based on the AFP results). While I totally understand your friends fears and worry, it's so impotrtant to not get too anxious. The AFP seems to be inaccurate alot, and seems to only serves to give an indication that more specialized testing may be warranted. Maybe you can remind your friend that she'll get a great glimpse at her precious baby today at her u/s. Maybe focusing on the chance to peek in on the baby, and see it's little body will help her not be so upset. (I know...easier said than done).

Not only did I have a false positive with this test for one pregnancy, I had a false negative with it for another pregnancy. For good reason, they are relying more and more on other ways to help determine the health of a baby (such as measuring the fluid in the back of the neck, called a nuchal translucancy test). Aside from myself, I've known 3 other moms with false positives, who freaked out (as did I) and the babies were fine. Because of my history with chromosomal abnormalities (the false negative I'm speaking of), I've had 4 amnios and would be glad to give some insight in the future for your friend if an amnio is necessary. God willing, this is just a false negative, though and everything will turn out fine, with no amnio necessary. Please keep us updated!

Hi R.,

Please reassure your friend that most likely, her baby is just fine. I had a positive afp as well and my son turned out perfect. I opted not to do an amnio or further testing because I knew that I would keep my son no matter what. As far as the test goes, my understanding is if you get a postive it just puts you at a slightly higher risk for something to be wrong- it doesn't mean that you WILL have something wrong. Try to tell her to relax and not stress-- the more she stresses the more the baby gets stressed and that isn't good for either one of them.

Molly

Hi R.,

A good friend of mine had the same thing happen with her triple screen years ago (apparently the same test -- I just googled it). Her son was absolutely fine and is now a lovely second grader with no developmental issues whatsoever. This test has an absurdly high rate of false positives (so that the docs can be conservative). I remember (when I was pregnant) calculating the chances of my son having any of the issues tested for, based on my age, and then comparing them to the false positive rate. I was 32 at the time, so the chances of having a false positive were far greater than the chances of something being wrong. I can certainly understand why your friend is so nervous, especially given what she has been through. Her ob should be able to recommend follow up tests, and she doesn't necessarily need an amnio if that scares her. I believe the amnio is still the gold standard, but there are certain ultrasounds that can be used instead, though not at quite the same level of accuracy (prolly what she is getting today). From a statistical standpoint, the triple screen/quad screen/afp test is kind of a joke. I guess it's the best they have for something cheap and minimally invasive, but the false positive rate is absurdly high. You can find the stats online -- maybe check babycenter or iVillage. Please wish your friend well, share my friend's story, and let her know that the numbers are in her baby's favor.

They used to run a similar test years ago, and 5 out of my grandmother's 7 pregnancies came back positive with the test. They didn't do amnio back then, so she just had to wait and hope and pray. All 7 kids turned out fine with no problems whatsoever. Sometimes these tests are inaccurate and give off false positives. There's nothing to be gained by worrying! I'll keep your friend in my thoughts; please let us know what happens!

The AFB test came back positive for me and my now 18 month old daughter is in perfect health. When I did the level 2 U/S they said my (period) dates were a little off which would actually change my test to negative. I also know 5 other people that also tested positve and there kids are all fine. I think there is a huge false positive rate. I feel sorry for your friend, because I am sure she is feeling horrible. We had to wait 2 weeks for the level 2 U/S to find out everything was O.K.

Hi R.,

I am not knowledgeable on this subject, but please tell your friend that I have prayed for her and the baby's safety.

Blessings to all and especially you for being a good friend and co-worker.

I had a positive afp for my now 4 year old and he was (and is) perfectly normal. It turned out to be a dating error, and when I went for the US, the nurse said "Oh you're only 15 weeks (or whatever the time was), so the afp wouldn't be accurate." I was so freaked out, so I know where she's coming from. Good luck to your co-worker.