| Abstract: | The concentration of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was determined in paired umbilical cord and maternal sera in 42 multiple pregnancies. No concentrations above 1.4 microgram/ml were detected in maternal sera. Although there was a significant inverse correlation between cord AFP levels and gestational age, large intrapair discrepancies were common and these were not influenced by birth order, weight, or malformations. Intrapair AFP ratios were higher amongst dizygotic (DZ) than monozygotic (MZ) twins. In a pair discordant for neonatal hepatitis, the affected twin had the lower level of AFP in cord serum, but AFP was still detectable at 55 days. |
