Fetal Versus Maternal
Some screening tests performed on the woman are intended to detect traits or characteristics of the fetus. Others detect conditions in the woman that may have an adverse effect on the fetus, or that threaten the pregnancy. For example, abnormally low levels of the serum marker PAPP-A have been shown to correspond to an increased risk of pre-eclampsia, in which the mother's high blood pressure can threaten the pregnancy, though many physicians find regular blood-pressure monitoring to be more reliable.
Read more about this topic: Prenatal Diagnosis
Famous quotes containing the word maternal:
“Mothers have as powerful an influence over the welfare of future generations, as all other causes combined.”
—John Abbott. The Mother at Home; or the Principles of Maternal Duty, John Abbott, Crocker and Brewster (1833)