Second-trimester maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and human chorionic gonadotrophin screening for Down's syndrome in Hong Kong

Abstract

Second-trimester maternal serum screening for fetal Down's syndrome is well established in many Western countries. Its usefulness and acceptability is unknown in the Asian countries. Between June 1994 and December 1996, we offered second-trimester serum AFP and hCG screening to pregnant women in Hong Kong who were less than 35 years old and without other risk factors for chromosomal abnormalities. Each woman was assigned a risk of having a Down's syndrome term pregnancy by using a computer software program that took into account her age, weight, AFP and hCG MOMs. All those with a risk of one in 250 or greater were designated screen-positive, subject to the revision of gestation by ultrasound examination. 9177 women with singleton pregnancies (93 per cent were Chinese) were screened. The uptake of screening was 75 per cent. 281 women (three per cent) were initially classified to be screen-positive. After revision of the gestation by ultrasound examination, 183 women (two per cent) were 'true' screen-positive and 164 (90 per cent) accepted the offer of amniocentesis. Eight of these pregnancies were affected by Down's syndrome and all the women elected pregnancy termination. The odds of being affected, given a positive screening result, were one in 23. Six Down's syndrome pregnancies were missed by the screening programme. The detection rate was 57 per cent. The study showed that second-trimester serum screening for fetal Down's syndrome was feasible and acceptable in the Hong Kong population.