Background: Preterm labor is considered one of the major health concerns and seconds congenital anomalies for infant morbidity and mortality. So far, various methods have been used to predict preterm labor; one of these methods is to measure mother’s serum alpha-fetoprotein level. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein level in weeks 11 to 13 of pregnancy and preterm labor.

Methods: This nested case-control study was conducted with 105 pregnant women during their 11-13 gestation week presenting to Fatemieh Hospital in Hamedan for their routine prenatal care from 2013 to 2014. Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein level was measured by Biomerieux standard kits through Vidas system in laboratory. Pregnancy outcomes were followed up after delivery and recorded in a checklist. The data were entered into SPSS/21 software and were analyzed using the t-test, Mann-Whitney U test and Chi-square test. P-value less than 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein level at 11-13 weeks was significantly higher in pregnant women experiencing preterm labor than that in women with term pregnancy (P<0.001).

Conclusion: Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein level in 11-13 weeks of pregnancy can help predict preterm labor in pregnant women.