Normal range of alpha-fetoprotein in pregnant women

After pregnancy, you need to go to the hospital regularly for prenatal checkups. The purpose of prenatal checkups is to check the development of the fetus. The development of the fetus is different at different stages of pregnancy, so the items of prenatal checkups are also different. In the middle and late stages of pregnancy, the alpha protein in the blood will increase. However, if it is within the normal range, pregnant women do not need to worry too much. What is the normal range of alpha-fetoprotein for pregnant women?

Under normal circumstances, the alpha-fetoprotein level in the blood of pregnant women may increase transiently when they are about seven or eight months pregnant, but the increase is usually less than 400ng/ml. When the alpha-fetoprotein level in the blood reaches its peak, it will basically stabilize and will no longer continue to rise. It will normally return to normal levels about three weeks after delivery. This situation is a physiological change and has nothing to do with tumors. However, even during pregnancy, if the concentration of alpha-fetoprotein in the serum is higher than 400ng/ml, you should be alert. In this case, it is necessary to test for carcinoembryonic antigen and CA19-9 tumor markers at the same time.

What should I do if my pregnant woman has high alpha-fetoprotein?

It is normal for pregnant women to have high levels of alpha-fetoprotein, because the fetus can synthesize alpha-fetoprotein. Generally, the concentration of alpha-fetoprotein is the highest around 30 weeks of pregnancy. However, some diseases such as liver disease can also cause high levels of alpha-fetoprotein in pregnant women. Therefore, it is necessary to go to the hospital for timely examination to diagnose the cause of the high alpha-fetoprotein.

Alpha-fetoprotein is mainly synthesized in the fetal liver. Its concentration in plasma reaches a peak at 30 weeks of gestation and then gradually decreases. The concentration in plasma at birth is about 1% of the peak level, and by one year old it is the same as that of an ordinary adult.

High alpha-fetoprotein levels in pregnant women may also be caused by some diseases. For example, when the pregnant woman herself suffers from acute or chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver cancer and other liver and gallbladder diseases and embryonal tumors, or when the fetus has abnormal conditions in the uterine cavity (such as spina bifida, neural tube defects, anencephaly, death, umbilical cord tumors and other congenital defects), the alpha-fetoprotein in the pregnant woman's blood may be higher than normal levels. Especially when the fetus has congenital open neural tube defects, the serum alpha-fetoprotein level in the pregnant woman can be about 10 times higher than the normal value when the pregnant woman is 10-16 weeks pregnant. At this time, timely diagnosis and treatment should be sought.

If the alpha-fetoprotein level is too high, you should make some improvements in your diet and eat more fungal foods, such as black fungus, shiitake mushrooms, and mushrooms. This can help the body enhance immunity and is an effective way to fight disease. At the same time, fish is rich in protein and is easily digested, so you should eat more of it.