The period of pregnancy is one of the most difficult stages in a woman's life. You have to take various tests, more than ever, control your diet and daily routine, put up with poor health. Some tests are given repeatedly, because with their help you can control the course of pregnancy. One of these tests is a study on the level of the hCG hormone. For the first time it is carried out during the diagnosis of pregnancy. In fact, it is the analysis for hCG that often allows you to finally establish that a pregnancy has occurred.
Basic information about hCG
In order not to worry about the reasons for the deviations of the hCG level from the norm, a woman needs to know the theoretical basis. The fact is that changes in hCG do not always indicate pregnancy, and yet they are not always a cause for concern. Yes, deviation from the norm is bad. But the norm itself is constantly changing in one direction or the other.
What is HCG
HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is one of the most unique hormones. When a fertilized egg is implanted in the uterus, this hormone begins to emanate from the chorion and enters the bloodstream. Accordingly, in a woman who is not pregnant, the hCG hormone is contained in small quantities.
The first analysis for hCG occurs during the diagnosis of pregnancy, and the subsequent ones - at different times. These tests are needed to determine the rate of fetal development, to make sure there are no delays and pathologies.
Chorionic gonadotropin consists of alpha particles and beta particles. The first ones are not interesting for doctors, but the second ones have a unique structure that cannot be confused with anything. If hCG beta particles are detected in a blood test, it becomes clear that fertilization has occurred.
However, the presence of elevated levels of hCG does not always indicate pregnancy. Sometimes this hormone can be a symptom of some disease, including in men (but rarely). In addition, an increased content of hCG is observed in the first days after an abortion.
How to diagnose pregnancy in the analysis of hCG
It is never too early to do an hCG analysis. You can donate blood even for 2-3 days of delay in menstruation. If at least 6-7 days have occurred since the moment of conception, then the result of the analysis will show pregnancy. But in order to finally make sure that the analysis is correct, doctors advise doing it 2 times, with an interval of 1 week. Also, ultravaginal ultrasound will not interfere.
Important! Rapid tests, which can be bought at any pharmacy, are also based on the analysis of hCG. The only difference is that the rapid test measures the level of the hormone not in the blood, but in the urine. The effectiveness of pharmacy tests is not very high, since the level of hCG in the urine is half that in the blood. If the hormone is secreted little, then the test may not detect it. A laboratory blood test is much more effective.
What is the rate of hCG at different stages of pregnancy
Gonadotropin appears in the blood immediately after the formation of the chorion. If the level of the hormone rises, then we can judge the successful development of pregnancy. The norm of hCG in the first 3 months of pregnancy is about 2 times higher than at the usual time. The peak level of the hormone occurs from 7 to 10 weeks, and after that it gradually decreases. After a slight decrease in the level of hCG "freezes" until about the middle of pregnancy.
Thus, from 14 to 18 weeks, the level of hCG should be unchanged. If during this period the level rises or, conversely, decreases, this may mean that the development of the fetus is not entirely correct. But one analysis of hCG is not enough to determine the presence of pathologies. If the doctor notices any violations, he will definitely refer the pregnant woman for additional studies. As long as the doctor says nothing, you can not worry about the fetus.
Important! The hCG indicator in women who are not pregnant, and in men - no more than 5 mIU / ml. In pregnant women, the norm fluctuates throughout the entire period of pregnancy. The lion's share of pregnancy passes with constant and very noticeable changes in the level of hCG, and you should not attach much importance to this fact.
Table of hCG norms by week of pregnancy
Based on this table, several conclusions can be drawn:
- The level of hCG in the blood reaches its peak at 9-13 weeks of pregnancy and exceeds the norm of a non-pregnant woman by thousands of times.
- After the 13th week, the hCG level should go down.
- At 23-41 weeks, changes in the level of hCG are possible, but not so significant.
Important! The variation in indicators is very wide, and all of them are the norm. For example, a woman whose hCG is 3000 mIU / ml at week 6 may feel no less relaxed than a woman whose hCG reaches 50,000 mIU / ml at the same time. But if the indicator for a specific period is higher or lower than the range presented in the table, this is already a cause for concern.
Deviations of the level of hCG from the norm
Many women ask a reasonable question. If the level of hCG is constantly changing, then how to determine whether it is normal or not? The answer to this question is the hCG level tables, created on the basis of statistics. The tables indicate what the hormone level should be during a normal pregnancy. Most tables calculate the rate of hormone content weekly. There are also daily tables, but they are not very accurate. Changes in hCG levels are best monitored on a weekly interval.
Any deviations in the level of hCG are negative. If in a particular week of pregnancy the level of the hormone in the blood is lower or higher than necessary, this indicates complications. It can be both fetal pathologies and diseases of a pregnant woman.
If hCG deviates from the norm, this does not mean that pregnancy has occurred. The reason may be:
- a tumor of the kidneys, lungs, uterus, ovaries (testicles in men), as well as other tumors;
- a course of hormonal therapy (taking drugs containing hCG;
- cystic drift or its recurrence;
- hCG residue in the blood after a recent abortion or the birth of a previous child.
Reasons for an increase in hCG during a confirmed pregnancy:
- diabetes mellitus of a pregnant woman;
- taking gestagenic synthetic drugs;
- toxicosis and gestosis;
- fetal pathologies (primarily chromosomal);
- discrepancy between the present and expected gestational age.
Reasons for low hCG levels can be as follows:
- non-existent pregnancy;
- placental insufficiency;
- gestation of the fetus;
- frozen pregnancy;
- risk of miscarriage (if the level of hCG is underestimated by more than 50%);
- antenatal fetal death (only in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters).
So, there are a lot of reasons for the discrepancy between the level of hCG and the norm. If this problem appears, do not immediately sound the alarm. The doctor will understand the true cause of the deviation from the norm. Perhaps it will turn out to be not something serious, but toxicosis, which is common for any pregnant woman.
In addition, often elevated levels of hCG are observed in women who carry 2 or more fetuses at the same time. If the level of the hormone in the blood of a woman pregnant with 2 children exceeds the general norm, this is not a reason to sound the alarm. For women with twins, there is their own hCG rate, which is worth asking the doctor about.
Important! Sometimes it happens that the gestational age was set incorrectly. Then the hCG level will not match the table. To avoid misunderstandings, the onset of pregnancy should be carefully checked.
How to pass the analysis
In order for the information about the results of the hCG analysis to be true, you need to pass it correctly. All the subtleties of the process should be learned from the doctor. But there are general recommendations that you should know in advance:
- Regardless of the time of day, the test always takes place on an empty stomach. 5-6 hours before the procedure, you need to stop drinking and eating.
- Blood for analysis is taken from a vein, so it is better to spend 2-3 days before donation at rest, without physical exertion.
- If hormones were taken shortly before the analysis, then you need to tell the doctor who will study the results of the analysis, and the laboratory assistant who takes the blood.
What to do if the level of hCG is abnormal
When diagnosing pregnancy, it is important to understand that exceeding the norm is not always pregnancy. If hCG is more than 5 mIU / ml, then you should wait at least 4-5 days and take the test again. With 100% certainty, it is worth talking about the fact of pregnancy only at an hCG level of 25 mIU / ml.
If the hCG level is already violated during pregnancy, then everything depends on the degree of deviation. The main thing is not to make decisions on your own, without the knowledge of the doctor. A slight deviation in general can be caused by the characteristics of the body and does not bode well. If the deviation exceeded 20%, then the doctor sends the pregnant woman to other tests. According to their results, it becomes clear whether there are any complications.
Important! Many medical centers use special methods for calculating hCG levels, so the tables used in these centers may contain completely different numbers. This is fine. Experts know what the hCG norm should be, and their words can be trusted.
All women planning a pregnancy know how exciting the two weeks after ovulation can be. They are especially hard on women who have been planning to get pregnant for a long time and for some reason their attempts have not yet been successful. Literally every day they look for the earliest symptoms and signs of a possible long-awaited pregnancy, almost a day after ovulation they begin to buy pharmacy tests in order to get at least a ghostly hope for a second strip. About when the tests should “strip”, we will tell in this article.
How does the second line appear?
All pregnancy tests, regardless of manufacturer and cost, work the same way. A special reagent applied to the strip is stained only when a sufficient amount of a hormone is found in the woman's urine, which is a faithful companion for bearing a child - human chorionic gonadotropin, which in various medical documents is abbreviated as FSHA, GPHa, LHA, TSHA, hCG or HCG.
This substance is often present in the analyzes of non-pregnant women, and even men, but in very small quantities. If the cherished event took place and the child is conceived, HCG begins to be produced more actively. It is produced by chorion cells. Gonadotropin is necessary for the female body in order for pregnancy to develop.
Under its influence, the corpus luteum, which is formed after ovulation, does not disappear, as happens in the absence of pregnancy before menstruation, but remains for the first few months. It assumes the function of the main endocrine organ for the developing embryo.
Under the influence of human chorionic gonadotropin the woman's immunity is somewhat weakened, which increases the chances of the embryo to survive. Otherwise, the strong and well-trained immunity of the mother would simply reject the baby, because it is half alien, since it contains the genetic material of the father.
The production of hCG in a woman’s body gives the command “to start” for the active production of progesterone, without which the preservation and bearing of a child will be impossible, as well as the female sex hormone estrogen, which is also extremely important during pregnancy.
Hormone level increases rapidly from the moment of implantation. A fertilized egg begins its journey into the uterine cavity within a few hours after meeting with the spermatozoon. She has to go through the fallopian tube, descend into the uterine space and gain a foothold in the wall of the main reproductive female organ.
This moment is called implantation. Sometimes a woman can guess about it herself - by slight pulling sensations in the lower abdomen, by a drop of smearing secretions on a daily pad. Implantation is usually done 6-10 days after fertilization. Most often - on the eighth day.
From this moment, the chorion starts the production of gonadotopin, and the amount of the hormone gradually increases, almost doubling every 48 hours. This does not mean that the substance can immediately be found in the blood or urine of a woman.
It takes a certain amount of time for the amount of HCG to exceed the sensitivity thresholds for pharmacy tests and laboratory reagents.
How do hormone levels increase?
In women, before pregnancy, the level of the hormone in the body does not exceed values in the range from 0 to 5 mU / ml. And in the urine, the substance is not detected at all. If conception has taken place, then for the first time the level of the hormone will exceed the “non-pregnant” threshold only on the second or third day after implantation. I must say that in all women the hormone is produced with different intensity, and therefore do not demand mathematical precision from laboratory assistants.
By the way, these difficult days from a moral point of view, ladies dreaming of motherhood, are called the abbreviation DPO, which means “the day after ovulation”. Ovulation, of course, is also not fixed for everyone, but in the vast majority of cases it falls on the 14-15th day of the cycle - in its very middle with a menstrual cycle duration of 28 days. Thus, 2 DPO is two days after ovulation or the 17th day of the cycle, and 5 DPO is the 20th day from the start of the menstrual cycle and only the fifth day after the expected ovulation.
If the fate is that the second phase of the female cycle lasts 14 days, then The first day of the delay is 14 DPO or the 29th day of the cycle. Many women, in anticipation of good news, start testing too early and are very worried about the lack of the coveted second strip. After how many days after conception you can already safely do an hCG test, it becomes clear if you know how the quantitative indicator of a hormonal substance in the blood changes.
Table of average quantitative values of HCG in the blood during pregnancy:
Time since ovulation | Average concentration of HCG | Lowest HCG value | Highest HCG value |
15 DPO (beginning of delay) | |||
28 DPO (two weeks late) |
Test sensitivity
The gonadotrope produced from the moment of attachment of the fetal egg first enters the bloodstream, and only then part of it is excreted in the urine. Therefore, at the initial stage, even before the onset of a delay, only a biochemical blood test can show the “piquant position”.
The tests, which are available at any pharmacy or store, also differ in their sensitivity, in their ability to "capture" traces of the hormone in the excreted fluid. The minimum is 30 units, the maximum is 10. Most often, test strips with an average sensitivity of 20-25 mU / ml are found on the shelves of pharmacies. They are able to respond with a control strip to an increase in the chorionic gonadotropin only 14-15 days after conception. That is why they are recommended to be carried out in the first days of the actual delay that has already occurred, so that the results are not in doubt.
If ovulation occurred on time and implantation was not delayed, then the analysis will give informative first results at least 10-11 days after fertilization.
Of course, it happens that the test begins to show a weak second line even earlier, but this becomes possible only in women with hCG production at the maximum level or above the average norm. There is only one conclusion from all of the above - if about as soon as possible, you should go to the nearest clinic to donate blood for the determination of hCG.
If “time suffers”, then the woman should also be patient, not be nervous and wait for a delay in order to conduct a simple and understandable home test, which with a high degree of probability will be able to answer the main question 2 weeks after conception.
Growth by week
Chorionic gonadotropin does not always grow at the same rate as in the first days of pregnancy. At first, it doubles every 48 hours, as soon as the concentration of the substance in the blood exceeds 1200 mU / ml, the growth of the hormone will slow down somewhat - it will begin to increase every 72 hours. When the concentration reaches 6000 mU / ml, growth will become even slower - the quantity will change every 96 hours.
The amount of the pregnancy hormone reaches its maximum by the 10-11th week of pregnancy, after which it begins to decrease at a slow pace. When the pregnancy is multiple, and the expectant mother bears two or three children, the level of the hormone in her blood and urine will be two or three times higher than normal (the chorion of each of the babies produces its own "hormonal accompaniment", hence the inflated numbers).
Possible problems
In trying to figure out the values of hCG, many women are faced with a lot of questions and problems, the answers to which are not so easy to find. Among the abundance of information on the Internet, there are few specific indications of the causes of certain ambiguities associated with the “pregnancy hormone”. We have tried to bring together and answer the most common questions related to the definition of "interesting position" at the very beginning.
How to do the analysis correctly?
Before a visit to the treatment room or laboratory, it is advisable to stop eating fatty foods 12 hours in advance. The study is carried out by a biochemical method, so the abundance of fats can affect its effectiveness. Blood from a vein is taken on an empty stomach. The result can be obtained in a few hours or a day, it all depends on the work of a particular laboratory.
Before conducting a home test, prepare a clean, dry container to collect urine. No dietary restrictions required. It is best to do a morning urine test, because it is considered the most concentrated. However, many pregnant women refer to the fact that they have brighter and clearer second stripes appearing in evening urine. It all depends not so much on the time of day, but on the time elapsed between urination. Before testing, make sure that at least 5 hours have passed since the last trip to the toilet.
Before testing, make sure that at least 5 hours have passed since the last trip to the toilet.
The result does not match any existing table
This really happens often, and this is not at all a reason to worry. The fact is that different laboratories use different reagents and auxiliary technologies for conducting a biochemical blood test. Hence the difference in final scores. When picking up a ready-made analysis, do not forget to ask to show the hCG norms for this particular laboratory so that you have something to compare your results with. And it is best to get an internal appointment with an obstetrician-gynecologist, which will be able to correctly decrypt the data from the laboratory.
Level reduced
Below normal, the level of the substance produced by the chorion may be in women who have experienced late ovulation. The lady herself believes that 14 days have passed since ovulation and is waiting for at least 105 mU / ml in the conclusion of the laboratory assistant. But the result is 64 or 80. The woman falls into a stupor and begins to look for the causes of "malfunctions". In fact, she does not even realize that her ovulation was "late" for a couple of days, which led to a later implantation of blastocytes in the uterine wall.
The value of the chorionic hormone may be reduced in women with an existing threat of spontaneous abortion. On the one hand, the threat reduces the level of production of such an important hormone, and on the other hand, the threat is aggravated against the background of hCG deficiency. In this situation, doctors will help, because they can offer a woman supportive hormonal therapy, which will restore the balance of necessary substances and give the baby a chance.
Above normal level
An overestimated level of the hormonal substance produced by the chorion may turn out to be when early ovulation has occurred. This is also quite real, and then the embryonic period will in fact differ from that which the woman herself assumes by several days. Thus, the blood test will show higher results than expected, and this will be quite justified, because the implantation occurred earlier.
Increased hormonal levels may turn out to be if a woman becomes pregnant with twins or triplets. But only ultrasound diagnostics can answer this question and not earlier than at 6-7 weeks of pregnancy, when it will be possible to view the number of embryos on the scanner monitor. In the meantime, a woman will need to repeat a blood test several times to get a picture in dynamics - an increase in the concentration of the hormone during multiple pregnancy will be uniform, although increased according to all standards.
The test is negative, but the blood test is positive
In this case, most likely, there is a pregnancy. It's just that its period is still so short that the concentration of the hormone in the urine (and it is half the concentration in the blood) is not captured by the reagents of the strip (less than 15-20 mU / ml). A simple home urine test should be repeated after a few days.
Home test is positive but blood test is negative
Most likely not pregnant. The test may turn out to be corny defective, and this phenomenon is common. It may be carried out in error. Sometimes, for a positive result, a woman who really wants a child takes the so-called "ghost" of the strip - a weak and barely distinguishable second strip of a grayish color. This optical phenomenon in most cases is the designation of the place of application of the reagent, which becomes somewhat gray after the strip dries. The “ghost” cannot talk about pregnancy.
If it is confirmed in the laboratory that the level of the hormone in the blood does not indicate the onset of an “interesting situation”, then it is worth trusting a more accurate method - the laboratory one.
The analysis was positive, and then became negative
In women who are not puzzled by measuring the level of hormones in the second phase of their cycle, there are sometimes delays of several days. After which the menses come, albeit more abundant than usual. Nobody pays attention to it. A woman who will do her best to monitor her condition before the delay, including taking tests before it, in this situation can get a very strange result - positive, indicating several days of pregnancy, but after a week, tests can give negative results.
If the blood at 11 DPO showed the presence of pregnancy, and menstruation, albeit late, still came, most likely, there was a rejection of the fetal egg from the wall of the uterus. This can happen for various reasons. Most often, at the root of the problem are genetic defects and anomalies, irreparable mistakes of nature during fertilization. Such an embryo is not able to grow at a normal rate and is rejected.
Why send for analysis?
Sometimes a doctor gives a referral for a blood test to determine the level of hCG. He does this not always and not for everyone. This usually happens at the reception, where a woman comes with complaints about a delay in menstruation. It is practically impossible to establish the fact of pregnancy after 10 days of delay by any other means., and therefore the doctor can send the lady home and ask to come later or issue a referral to the laboratory.
He will do this if you need to know for sure right now whether the pregnancy has occurred. This may be required if an in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure was performed, if the lady had previously had miscarriages and missed pregnancies in the very early stages of gestation, if she had recently had an ectopic pregnancy or had an abortion.
The level of the gonadotropin hormone allows not only to judge the fact of pregnancy and presumably determine its duration, but also to track how the embryo grows and develops in the period before it can be seen on ultrasound.
If hCG is growing at a good pace, and analyzes made with a difference of 5-6 days confirm this, then there is nothing to worry about. If the growth of the hormone has slowed down or stopped, if it has begun to decrease, the doctor may suspect a frozen or ectopic pregnancy, which requires prompt surgical intervention to save the woman's life.
In the next video, experts will tell you about what hCG or human chorionic gonadotropin is.
- Pregnancy test
- When and how to submit
- Days from conception
HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) or hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a special pregnancy hormone.
You can also diagnose pregnancy with the help of home pregnancy tests based on the analysis of hCG excreted in the urine. But the reliability of the hCG result obtained by the "home" method is significantly lower than the laboratory analysis of the hCG blood, since the level of hCG in the urine necessary for diagnosis is reached a few days later than in the blood
The hCG hormone is produced by chorion cells (embryo membranes). Based on a blood test for b-hCG, the doctor determines the presence of chorionic tissue in the body, which means that the woman is pregnant. An hCG blood test makes it possible early - already on the 6-10th day after fertilization, the hCG result will be positive.
The role of hCG in the first trimester of pregnancy is to stimulate the formation of hormones necessary for the development and maintenance of pregnancy, such as progesterone, estrogens (estradiol and free estriol). With the normal development of pregnancy in the future, these hormones are produced by the placenta.
Chorionic gonadotropin is very important. In the male fetus, hCG stimulates the so-called Leydig cells, which synthesize testosterone. Testosterone in this case is simply necessary, as it contributes to the formation of the genital organs according to the male type, and also has an effect on the adrenal cortex of the embryo.
We will give the most common cases when a doctor prescribes an analysis for hCG.
Among women:
Amenorrhea
Diagnosis of pregnancy at an early stage
Rule out the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy
To assess the completeness of induced abortion
HCG is also given for dynamic monitoring of pregnancy
With the threat of miscarriage and non-developing pregnancy
Diagnosis of tumors - chorionepithelioma, hydatidiform mole
Along with AFP and free estriol - as a prenatal diagnosis of fetal malformations
For men:
Diagnosis of testicular tumors.
HCG levels in blood serum
The norm of hCG, honey / ml
Men and non-pregnant women< 5
HCG levels during pregnancy:
1 - 2 weeks 25 - 300
2 - 3 weeks 1500 - 5000
3 - 4 week 10000 - 30000
4 - 5 week 20000 - 100000
5 - 6 week 50000 - 200000
6 - 7 week 50000 - 200000
7 - 8 week 20000 - 200000
8 - 9 week 20000 - 100000
9 - 10 week 20000 - 95000
11 - 12 week 20000 - 90000
13 - 14 weeks 15000 - 60000
15 - 25 week 10000 - 35000
26 - 37 week 10000 - 60000
HCG decoding
Normally, during pregnancy, the level of hCG gradually rises. During the 1st trimester of pregnancy, the level of b-hCG increases rapidly, doubling every 2-3 days.
Blood test for hCG
In order to find out if you are pregnant or not, you can do a blood test for hCG. This analysis shows the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin in the body. Chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone that appears in a woman's body at the very beginning of pregnancy. When conception occurs, the egg divides, and in the process of division, an embryo and fetal membranes are formed from it, one of which is called the chorion. It is the chorion that produces hCG, which they try to detect in a blood test. In very rare cases, hCG is present in the body of a non-pregnant woman or man. This happens with some diseases. In some cases, this hormone may be present for 4-5 days after an abortion.
The level of human chorionic gonadotropin in the body changes during pregnancy.
HCG levels during pregnancy are normal
Pregnancy period from conception
HCG level, honey / ml
1-2 weeks 25-156
2-3 weeks 101-4870
3-4 weeks 1110-31500
4-5 weeks 2560-82300
5-6 weeks 23100-151000
6-7 weeks 27300-233000
7-11 weeks 20900-291000
11-16 weeks 6140-103000
16-21 weeks 4720-80100
21-39 weeks 2700-78100
How to take a blood test for hCG?
- Blood for analysis is taken from a vein
- Blood should be taken in the morning on an empty stomach
- At other times of the day, blood can be donated at least 4-5 hours after eating.
- Tell your doctor about the medications you are currently taking
- The analysis is carried out on the 3rd - 5th day of delayed menstruation
During pregnancy, you can focus on the level of hCG in order to monitor the course of pregnancy, changes in the concentration of this hormone may indicate a pathology.
Low levels of chorionic gonadotropin in pregnant women can indicate conditions such as ectopic pregnancy, fetal pathology, placental insufficiency, etc.
High rates can be with multiple pregnancy, with congenital malformations of the fetus, with diabetes in a woman, when taking synthetic gestagens.
Too rapid an increase in the level of hCG during pregnancy may indicate serious complications such as hydatidiform mole and trophoblastic tumors. Bubble skid is associated with abnormal development of the chorionic villi, which feed the embryo before the formation of the placenta. The chorion changes and ceases to perform its functions, as a result of which the pregnancy ceases to develop. But a particularly dangerous condition is associated with the transformation of chorion cells into malignant ones, which leads to cancer. These conditions are very rare, and a blood test for hCG levels helps a doctor diagnose them.
The accuracy of the analysis for the hCG hormone is very high and much higher than when using pregnancy tests to diagnose pregnancy.
human chorionic gonadotropin. The norm of hCG during pregnancy.
What is human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)?
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a special hormone protein that is produced by the membranes of the developing embryo throughout the entire period of pregnancy. HCG supports the normal development of pregnancy. Thanks to this hormone, the processes that cause menstruation are blocked in the body of a pregnant woman and the production of hormones necessary to maintain pregnancy increases.An increase in the concentration of hCG in the blood and urine of a pregnant woman is one of the earliest signs of pregnancy.
The role of hCG in the first trimester of pregnancy is to stimulate the formation of hormones necessary for the development and maintenance of pregnancy, such as progesterone, estrogens (estradiol and free estriol). With the normal development of pregnancy in the future, these hormones are produced by the placenta.
Chorionic gonadotropin is very important. In the male fetus, hCG stimulates the so-called Leydig cells, which synthesize testosterone. Testosterone in this case is simply necessary, as it contributes to the formation of the genital organs according to the male type, and also has an effect on the adrenal cortex of the embryo. HCG consists of two units - alpha and beta hCG. The alpha component of hCG has a similar structure to the units of the hormones TSH, FSH and LH, and the beta hCG is unique. Therefore, in the diagnosis, laboratory analysis of b-hCG is of decisive importance.
Small amounts of hCG are produced by the human pituitary gland even in the absence of pregnancy. This explains the fact that in some cases very low concentrations of this hormone are determined in the blood of non-pregnant women (including women during menopause) and even in the blood of men.
Permissible levels of hCG in the blood of non-pregnant women and men
Urinary hCG concentration mU/ml Men and non-pregnant women Less than 5 Menopausal women Less than 9.5How does the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level change during pregnancy?
With the normal development of pregnancy, hCG is determined in the blood of pregnant women from about 8-11-14 days after conception.
The level of hCG rises rapidly and, starting from the 3rd week of pregnancy, doubles approximately every 2-3 days. The increase in the concentration of hCG in the blood of a pregnant woman continues until about 11-12 weeks of pregnancy. Between 12 and 22 weeks of pregnancy, the concentration of hCG decreases slightly. From 22 weeks until delivery, the concentration of hCG in the blood of a pregnant woman begins to increase again, but more slowly than at the beginning of pregnancy.
By the rate of increase in the concentration of hCG in the blood, doctors can determine some deviations from the normal development of pregnancy. In particular, in an ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage, the rate of increase in the concentration of hCG is lower than in a normal pregnancy.
Accelerating the rate of increase in the concentration of hCG may be a sign of hydatidiform mole (chorionadenoma), multiple pregnancy, or fetal chromosomal diseases (for example, Down's disease).
There are no strict standards for the content of hCG in the blood of pregnant women. HCG levels at the same gestational age can vary significantly from woman to woman. In this regard, single measurements of hCG levels are not very informative. To assess the development of pregnancy, the dynamics of changes in the concentration of hCG in the blood is important.
Days since last period
Gestational age HCG level nomes for this period 3 - 4 week 10000 - 30000
4 - 5 week 20000 - 100000
5 - 6 week 50000 - 200000
6 - 7 week 50000 - 200000
7 - 8 week 20000 - 200000
Tests to determine the level of human chorionic gonadotropinTo determine the level of hCG, various laboratory blood tests are used that can detect pregnancy for a period of 1-2 weeks.
An analysis for hCG can be taken in many laboratories in the direction of a gynecologist and on your own. No special preparation for taking a blood test for hCG is required. However, before you get a referral for a test, be sure to tell your doctor about all the medications you are taking, as some medications can interfere with the test results. It is best to take an analysis for hCG in the morning, on an empty stomach. For a higher reliability of the test, it is recommended to exclude physical activity on the eve of the study.
By the way, home express pregnancy tests are also built on the principle of determining the level of hCG, but only in the urine, not in the blood. And it should be said that compared to a laboratory blood test, this one is much less accurate, since the level of hCG in the urine is two times lower than that in the blood.
A laboratory test for determining pregnancy in the early stages is recommended to be carried out no earlier than 3-5 days of delayed menstruation. The blood test for pregnancy can be repeated after 2-3 days to clarify the results.
To identify fetal pathology in pregnant women, an analysis for hCG, chorionic gonadotropin, is taken from the 14th to the 18th week of pregnancy.
However, in order for the diagnosis of possible fetal pathologies to be reliable, it is necessary to pass more than one blood test for hCG. Together with hCG, the following markers are given: AFP, hCG, E3 (alpha-fetoprotein, human chorionic gonadotropin, free estriol.)Serum levels of AFP and CG during physiological pregnancy
Pregnancy period, weeks AFP, average AFP level, min-max CG, average CG level, min-max 14 23.7 12 - 59.3 66.3 26.5 - 228 15 29.5 15 - 73.8
16 33,2 17,5 - 100 30,1 9,4 - 83,0 17 39,8 20,5 - 123
18 43,7 21 - 138 24 5,7 - 81,4 19 48,3 23,5 - 159
20 56 25,5 - 177 18,3 5,2 - 65,4 21 65 27,5 - 195
22 83 35 - 249 18,3 4,5 - 70,8 24
16,1 3,1 - 69,6
Can an hCG test “make a mistake” in determining pregnancy?
HCG levels that are out of the norm for a particular week of pregnancy can be observed if the gestational age is incorrectly established.
Laboratory tests for hCG can be wrong, but the probability of error is very small.HCG decoding
Normally, during pregnancy, the level of hCG gradually rises. During the 1st trimester of pregnancy, the level of b-hCG rises rapidly, doubling every 2-3 days. At 10-12 weeks of gestation, the highest level of hCG in the blood is reached, then the level of hCG begins to decrease slowly and remains constant during the second half of pregnancy.
An increase in beta-hCG during pregnancy can occur with:
- multiple pregnancy (hCG rate increases in proportion to the number of fetuses)
- toxicosis, gestosis
- maternal diabetes
- fetal pathologies, Down syndrome, multiple malformations
- incorrect gestational age
- taking synthetic gestagens
An increase in hCG can be a sign of serious illness in non-pregnant women and men:- production of hCG by the pituitary gland of the examined woman testicular tumors
tumor diseases of the gastrointestinal tract
neoplasms of the lungs, kidneys, uterus
hydatidiform mole, recurrence of hydatidiform mole
chorioncarcinoma
taking hCG medications
an hCG test was done within 4-5 days after the abortion, etc.Usually, hCG is elevated if the hCG test was performed 4-5 days after the abortion or due to the use of hCG preparations. A high hCG level after a mini-abortion indicates an ongoing pregnancy.
Low hCG in pregnant women may mean an incorrect definition of the term for determining pregnancy or be a sign of serious violations:
- ectopic pregnancy
- non-developing pregnancy
- fetal growth retardation
- the threat of spontaneous abortion (lowered hCG by more than 50%)
- chronic placental insufficiency
- true miscarriage
- fetal death (in the II-III trimester of pregnancy).
It happens that the results of the analysis of hCG show the absence of the hormone in the blood. This result can be if the hCG test was performed too early or during an ectopic pregnancy.Whatever the result of the analysis for hormones during pregnancy is, remember that only a qualified doctor can give a correct interpretation of hCG, determining which hCG is the norm for you in combination with data obtained by other examination methods.
- production of hCG by the pituitary gland of the examined woman testicular tumors
26 days12 days 0-50
27 days 13 days 2 5-100
28 days 2 weeks 50-100
29 days 15 days 100-200
30 days 16 days 200-400
31 days 17 days 4 00-1000
32 days 18 days 1050-2800
33 days 19 days 1440-3760
34 days 20 days 1940-4980
35 days 3 weeks 2580-6530
36 days 22 days 3400-8450
37 days 23 days 4420-10810
38 days 24 days 5680-13660
39 days 25 days 7220-17050
40 days 26 days 9050-21040
41 days 27 days 10140-23340
42 days 4 weeks 11230-25640
43 days 29 days 13750-30880
44 days 30 days 16650-36750
45 days 31 days 19910-43220
46 days 32 days 25530-50210
47 days 33 days 27470-57640
48 days 34 days 31700-65380
49 days 5 weeks 36130-73280
50 days 36 days 40700-81150
51 days 37 days 4 5300-88790
52 days 38 days 49810-95990
53 days 39 days 54120-102540
54 days 40 days 58200-108230
55 days 4 1 day 61640-112870
56 days 6 weeks 64600-116310
The norm of hCG, honey / ml Men and non-pregnant women < 5 HCG levels during pregnancy:
1 - 2 weeks 25 - 300
2 - 3 weeks
1500 - 5000A certain level of certain hormones in the human body ensures its vital activity and the normal functioning of all organs and systems. The same applies to the so-called pregnancy hormone - human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).
What is hCG, its concentration in the human body
HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a specific pregnancy hormone that is produced by trophoblast cells (the outer cell layer of the embryo) and regulates the production of other hormones (estrogens and progesterone) that help maintain pregnancy.
The role and function of human chorionic gonadotropin during pregnancy is to maintain the existence and subsequent development of the corpus luteum. It also inhibits the production of follicle-stimulating hormone, which prevents the appearance of cyclic menstrual changes and maintains pregnancy.
Normally, human chorionic gonadotropin begins to be produced in a woman's body during pregnancy. If there is no pregnancy, then the level of chorionic gonadotropin should be almost at zero. However, in most cases, the normal rate of this analysis in women without pregnancy can range from 0 to 5 IU / L. In healthy men, the level of hCG in the blood should be in the range up to 2.5 IU / L.
A small increase in the level of human chorionic gonadotropin may be present in women of a certain age, whose body is undergoing menopause.
A significant increase in hCG in the blood and urine is determined starting from the 8th day after fertilization. The concentration of the hormone in the blood serum is the same as in the placental tissue, which indicates its continuous entry into the blood. Chorionic gonadotropin is excreted in the urine unchanged.
Blood and urine test for hCG during pregnancy
An increase in the level of hCG makes it possible to detect pregnancy at an early stage. Significant changes in the level of the hormone contained in the blood can be detected already on the second day after implantation of the embryo in the uterus (7 days after fertilization). Its concentration in the urine is twice as low, so for the accuracy of the results, you must wait at least another week. But laboratories are not needed to determine hCG in urine - this can be done independently at home using special pregnancy tests that can be purchased at any pharmacy. With a blood test, it will not be possible to avoid laboratory manipulations with taking blood from a vein and waiting for the result. But this method is more reliable.
Study preparation
To analyze urine for the content of hCG, you must purchase a pregnancy test at the pharmacy. It is better to take a few to rule out possible false results. Tests differ in sensitivity: the higher the sensitivity of the test, the more accurate the result. Also, the tests are different in the way they are used: there are those that need to be lowered into a container with urine, and there are those that need to be substituted under the stream, etc.
Whichever test is chosen, it is better to conduct it with the first, morning urine, since it contains the highest content of hCG. If the woman was taking any medications that could affect the result, they should stop taking them a week before testing. It is also not recommended to use diuretics, alcohol or large amounts of fluids, as they can distort the results of the study.
The timing of the analysis for hCG usually depends on the sensitivity of the test and is indicated in the instructions for it. It is usually recommended to start testing no earlier than the first day of a missed period.
For a blood test for hCG, you need to donate blood from a vein. It is also better to do this in the morning and preferably on an empty stomach. The last meal is recommended 8-10 hours before the delivery of the biomaterial.
If a woman is taking any medications, the doctor should be informed in advance. Although only drugs that contain this hormone can affect the level of hCG.
To diagnose pregnancy, it is better to conduct a laboratory test no earlier than 4–5 days of delayed menstruation; to clarify the results, you can repeat the test after 2–3 days.
Approximate norms for the concentration of hCG in the urine will help determine from what period it is better to start the study, and what should be the dynamics of its change with a positive result in order to exclude a false positive or false negative result. 
DC - cycle day; DPO - day after ovulation
The dynamics of the content of hCG must be monitored only in relation to the same organism. Since, despite the established norms for the content of the hormone in the urine in the first days of pregnancy, their normal range is too large. Therefore, in one pregnant woman, the test may react on the 10th day after ovulation, and in the other - only on the 20th.
For example, even a gynecologist doubted my own pregnancy until the 4th week of pregnancy (30 days after ovulation), until an ultrasound examination showed that the fetal egg was in the uterus. Prior to this, the level of hCG was so low that even on the 5th day of a missed period on a pregnancy test with sensitivity to hCG 20–25 IU / l, the second strip was barely noticeable. After a couple of days, the second strip became brighter. I was already pleased at least with the fact that the level of hCG is still rising. To celebrate, I made an appointment with a gynecologist. Before going to the doctor (on the 10th day of the delay), I did the third test, on which the second strip was even brighter, but still pale. When examined on a gynecological chair, the doctor felt a seal on the left (before, a follicular cyst sometimes crawled out) and noted that the uterus was not enlarged. All this plus a dim second strip may indicate an ectopic pregnancy. Having said that at this time the ultrasound would still not show anything, she ordered to come back in a week. A week later, an ultrasound showed that the fetus was in the uterus, and the pregnancy at this time was proceeding without pathologies. The level of hCG according to the blood test was normal, corresponded to the terms of pregnancy.
Norms of hCG in urine by day after ovulation - table
| day after ovulation | Average | normal range | day after ovulation | Average | normal range |
| 7 | 4 IU/l | 2–10 IU/L | 18 | 650 IU/l | 220–840 IU/L |
| 8 | 7 IU/l | 3–18 IU/L | 19 | 980 IU/l | 370–1300 IU/L |
| 9 | 11 IU/l | 5–21 IU/l | 20 | 1380 IU/l | 520–2000 IU/l |
| 10 | 18 IU/l | 8–26 IU/l | 21 | 1960 IU/l | 750–3100 IU/l |
| 11 | 28 IU/l | 11–45 IU/l | 22 | 2680 IU/l | 1050–4900 IU/l |
| 12 | 45 IU/l | 17–65 IU/L | 23 | 3550 IU/l | 1400–6200 IU/L |
| 13 | 73 IU/l | 22–105 IU/L | 24 | 4650 IU/l | 1830–7800 IU/L |
| 14 | 105 IU/l | 29–170 IU/L | 25 | 6150 IU/l | 2400–9800 IU/L |
| 15 | 160 IU/l | 39–270 IU/L | 26 | 8160 IU/l | 4200–15600 IU/L |
| 16 | 260 IU/l | 68–400 IU/L | 27 | 10200 IU/l | 5400–19500 IU/l |
| 17 | 410 IU/l | 120–580 IU/L | 28 | 11300 IU/l | 7100–27300 IU/l |
The concentration of hCG in the blood of a pregnant woman
In the absence of pathologies, the level of the hormone in the first weeks of pregnancy doubles every 2 days. Its maximum secretion is observed between the 9th and 12th weeks of pregnancy and reaches 2-3 mg per day, after which the concentration of the hormone rapidly decreases and remains at a low level until the end of pregnancy. 10 days after birth, the hormone in the blood and urine is not detected.
Norms of hCG in the blood during pregnancy - table
With insufficient secretion of human chorionic gonadotropin, abortion may occur. Increased secretion of the hormone also occurs during pregnancy, which occurs with toxicosis, nephropathy, which is associated with hyperactivity of the chorion.
HCG as a marker of fetal abnormalities
An hCG blood test is used in screening the first and second trimesters of pregnancy to assess the risk of having Down syndrome and Edwards syndrome in the fetus. Also, special indications for the appointment of a study are age over 35 years, cases of Down's disease in the families of future mothers and fathers, congenital malformations and hereditary diseases in the next of kin, radiation exposure. A positive test result puts a woman at risk, but is not a 100% indicator of the development of fetal chromosomal abnormalities.
Pregnant women are advised to donate blood for hCG at 8–13 and 15–20 weeks. If the level of this hormone is higher than the norm for this period, there is a risk of having a child with Down syndrome. For example, if for a period of 12 weeks the indicator exceeds 288,000 IU / l, it is recommended to undergo a series of additional examinations for more accurate results.
HCG and gestational age
It is believed that the level of hCG can determine the duration of pregnancy. But often the period determined in this way does not coincide with the one calculated from the first day of the last menstruation or set by ultrasound. The fact is that in the normative tables, which show the values of the hCG level by week, fairly wide ranges of values \u200b\u200bcorrespond to each period. And indicators of changes in hormone levels are individual for each woman. Moreover, they can differ several times during the normal course of pregnancy. For example, an indicator of 3000 IU / l is normal at the 3rd week of pregnancy, and at the 4th, and at the 5th. And also after the 22nd until the very birth.
Therefore, only a doctor who observes a pregnant woman and her hCG in dynamics should interpret the results of the study. And certainly you should not try to determine the gestational age by analyzing hCG on your own.
False result
According to statistics, in 2% of girls who donate blood for hCG, the study shows a false positive pregnancy result. This may be evidence of hormonal failure or the presence of cancer. It also happens that during a confirmed pregnancy, the analysis shows a negative result. This occurs if ovulation or implantation of the fetus occurred later than usual, or in the case of an ectopic pregnancy.
Also, the result may turn out to be false positive if the woman took medications containing hCG during the test or a week before it. For women, chorionic gonadotropin is prescribed for menstrual disorders and infertility associated with the absence of ovulation and insufficiency of the corpus luteum (but with sufficient estrogenic ovarian function), dysfunctional uterine bleeding.
Therefore, when taking a blood test for hCG, it is necessary to tell the doctor which medications and for how long have been taken.
High and low hCG levels during pregnancy
The norms of chorionic gonadotropin in the body of a pregnant woman are not a paradigm. Deviation from them can be not only pathological, but also natural. For example, in multiple pregnancies, the amount of this hormone is directly proportional to the number of babies. Only a doctor should draw any conclusions regarding the hCG indicator at a certain gestational age.
But there are also a number of pathological causes that cause the level of the “pregnancy hormone” to deviate in one direction or another.
In those carrying a child, the level of hCG rises noticeably as a result of:
- diabetes;
- early toxicosis, preeclampsia;
- prolonged pregnancy (an increase in the duration of pregnancy due to the slow development of the child);
- fetal chromosomal abnormalities;
- taking synthetic gestagens - drugs that replenish the body's level of the main female hormone - progesterone.
Low levels of hCG in pregnant women require careful attention and immediate contact with specialists. A decrease in the level by more than 50% of the norm may be evidence of:
- ectopic pregnancy;
- threats of miscarriage;
- placental insufficiency;
- missed pregnancy or intrauterine death of the fetus;
- delays in fetal development;
- delayed pregnancy.
In addition to these reasons, a reduced (as well as increased) level of human chorionic gonadotropin can be recorded due to an incorrect determination of the gestational age by a doctor. This situation is dangerous because in the normal course of the process of bearing a child, a woman is assigned additional diagnostics, and sometimes treatment, which she absolutely does not need. Such situations are quite rare, but it is impossible not to mention them.
In addition, incorrect determination of the gestational age and, consequently, incorrect diagnosis of a reduced level of hCG can cause not the most pleasant emotional burden for the expectant mother.
HCG levels after IVF
IVF - in vitro fertilization. The essence of the method is that the process of fertilization occurs outside the body of the mother (extracorpus). During in vitro fertilization, a woman is injected with hCG-containing drugs for the final maturation of eggs and stimulation of ovulation. Then a mature egg is taken from a woman, fresh sperm from a man, and under the supervision of doctors, fertilization takes place in a Petri dish (a special container with a nutrient medium and at a certain temperature). Then the embryo is grown up to 3-5 days (if necessary, genetic testing is carried out or frozen for the future) and placed in the uterus, where it must be fixed and continue to develop.
Upon completion of the embryo transfer procedure, it is necessary to wait for two weeks whether the embryo will take root or not. This can be determined by analyzing the content of chorionic gonadotropin.
The level of this hormone in the blood or urine is considered the most reliable indicator of successful fertilization, that is, the onset of pregnancy. This is due to the fact that it is the hormone of chorionic gonadotropin that will appear in the female body by the time the embryo successfully implants into the epithelium of the uterus. At the same time, it is important to note that the content of this hormone in the blood will significantly exceed its levels in the urine. For this reason, the degree of hCG in a woman's body after IVF, doctors will check by blood tests.
With the successful attachment of the embryo, the content of the hCG hormone will begin to grow with a mathematical progression. And these figures can tell a lot. For example, an exorbitantly high content of hCG on day 14 should be evidence of the onset of a multiple pregnancy, because each fetus causes the level of hCG to double. If the pregnancy is ectopic, the level of the hormone, in the first weeks, will be significantly lower than normal, more precisely, by a third. And if pregnancy has not occurred, then the content level will not exceed 0–5 IU / l. Only in those cases where the implantation of the embryo ends with successful fertilization, this indicator will express growth daily.
The presence of the hormone in the body in the absence of pregnancy
In addition, it is necessary to highlight the reasons for the high level of chorionic gonadotropin in men and women who are not carrying a child. Indeed, in these cases, a sharp increase in the content of chorionic gonadotropin indicates pathological processes in the body.
Exceeding the indicator of 5 IU / l hCG can be in the following cases:
- taking hormonal drugs;
- the presence of trophoblastic disease;
- malignant testicular teratoma in men;
- other malignant tumors (cancer of the lung, stomach, pancreas, mammary glands, melanoma, myeloma);
- incomplete removal of the fetal egg after an abortion or medical curettage;
- recent childbirth.
Even the slightest excess of hCG in the absence of pregnancy should be the reason for an immediate visit to the doctor. The presence of dangerously high levels of pregnancy hormone in its absence will require an in-depth diagnosis to determine the location of the tumor and its type. Timely detection of high numbers of the hormone will help to quickly conduct concomitant diagnostics and detect the cause of the disease. The sooner this is done, the greater the chance that the disease can be completely cured, whatever its nature.
Immunity against hCG
Medicine knows cases when women developed immunological resistance to hCG. The fact is that hCG is not a "native" hormone for a woman, since it is produced not by her body, but by a fetal egg. Therefore, an immune response may appear to it - the formation of antibodies. Natural antibodies inhibit the process of hormone synthesis, leading to spontaneous early abortions. As a result, antibodies against hCG cause infertility, miscarriage, and unsuccessful IVF attempts.
Most of the fair sex take a long-awaited pregnancy with great joy, and, being in a position, anxiously take care of the health of their unborn baby.
From the first days of pregnancy to delivery, the obstetrician-gynecologist prescribes a wide variety of tests and diagnostic examinations to women, thereby determining the health status of the woman and the fetus. One of the most important diagnostic tests is the definition of a future mother and comparing it with the norm during pregnancy by weeks.
General information
Human chorionic gonadotropin is a specific hormone produced in women during the period of expectation of a baby. Immediately after conception, this hormone begins to be produced in the body of the fair sex: initially, it is synthesized by the fertilized egg of the expectant mother, and after the formation of the trophoblast, it is produced by the tissues of the placenta precursor. Therefore, its level is determined in the body only after conception, and the hCG levels differ by week of pregnancy.
In women who are expecting a baby, the definition of and (HCG in English) plays an important role, since the deviation of this indicator from the normal value may indicate an abnormal development of the fetus. Certain pathological conditions of a woman or fetus give a significant increase or decrease in its value. Even if the level of hCG by weeks of pregnancy differs significantly from normal levels, the analysis has no diagnostic value, but only tells the doctor that other studies are needed.
But it is also necessary to take into account that an increase in the hormone is sometimes observed not only in women in position. If in the analyzes of men and non-pregnant girls its increase is found, then this may indicate the presence of an oncological process in the body. And also in women who have recently had an abortion, its value in the blood may increase.
Why do you need to control the level of hCG?
Indicators of the hormone in the blood allows the doctor to determine the exact date of conception. If the girl does not have menstruation already on the 2nd or 3rd day, this analysis can be carried out: if the gestational age is more than 6 days, the analysis will show a positive result. After a few days, the study can be repeated.
As well as the analysis of chorionic gonadotropin, the fair sex is prescribed in the following cases:
- diagnosing conception at an early stage;
- determination of anomalies in the development of the unborn baby;
- diagnosis of amenorrhea;
- exclusion or confirmation of the threat of miscarriage;
- exclusion or confirmation;
- evaluation of induced abortion;
- diagnosis of malignant tumors.
For representatives of the stronger sex, such an analysis is prescribed to diagnose testicular tumors.
The degree of hCG in a pregnant woman
The function of chorionic gonadotropin in the female body cannot be underestimated. Already in the first days after ovulation, this figure increases, since the hormone is produced by a fertilized egg. It is he who starts the processes in the woman's body that allow the fetus to develop normally.
In plasma, it can be determined as early as nine days after ovulation. As soon as ovulation has occurred, the hCG value begins to change (albeit slowly, but increases).
During the period of gestation, the growth of chorionic gonadotropin occurs up to 10 obstetric weeks. And then the hormone levels gradually decrease until the twentieth week. From 21 to 40 weeks, his performance remains stable.
The hormone is excreted from the woman's body by the kidneys, so it can be determined in the urine. After the last menstruation, a urine test is given in the interval of 30–60 days. After receiving the results of the tests, the obstetrician-gynecologist compares the results and norms of hCG by weeks of pregnancy. On the 60-70th day, the highest levels of chorionic gonadotropin are noted.
Repeated peak levels of the hormone levels can reach in the third trimester. A few years ago, experts considered this the norm. But recently, scientists have proven that an increase in the level of human chorionic gonadotropin in late pregnancy can be a sign of pathology in the development of the fetus. For example, at 38–40 weeks, an increase sometimes indicates placental insufficiency due to an Rhesus conflict.
A week after delivery (or after an abortion), the hormone can no longer be determined in plasma or urine. But to get the most reliable result, it is better to wait 5 weeks after giving birth.
From the moment of conception allows you to see what it should be like in each period. Since during the gestation of the fetus, monitoring the level of the hormone plays an important role in controlling the development of the fetus, the expectant mother, comparing her results with tabular data, can be sure for herself that there are no deviations. But it should be noted that the deviation of the hCG level does not carry diagnostic information, but can only prompt the doctor to prescribe additional studies to the woman.
It is also necessary to check the hormone levels in the urine in women who have undergone IVF. An increase in human chorionic gonadotropin may indicate that IVF was successful.
With multiple pregnancies, the level of hCG should not be the same as that of a woman carrying one baby.
HCG table by week of pregnancy:
| Gestational age | Mean value, mIU/ml | Permissible limits of hCG, mIU / ml |
| no pregnancy | 0–5 | |
| Doubtful result | 5–25 | |
| 10–14 days | 150 | 49–299 |
| 20–21 days | 2000 | 1499–4999 |
| HCG at 4 weeks pregnant | 2000 | 1499–4999 |
| HCG at 5 weeks pregnant | 20000 | 10001–29999 |
| HCG at 6 weeks pregnant | 50000 | 20010–99000 |
| 7 week | 100000 | 50111–199999 |
| HCG at 8 weeks pregnant | 80000 | 40111–199999 |
| HCG at 9 weeks pregnant | 70000 | 34999–144999 |
| 10 week | 65000 | 32355–129999 |
| 11 week | 60000 | 29999–120111 |
| 12 week | 55000 | 27499–109999 |
| hcg at 13 weeks | 50000 | 24111–99999 |
| 14 week | 50000 | 24999–99999 |
| 15–16 weeks | 40000 | 19999–79999 |
| 17–21 weeks | 30000 | 15111–59999 |
| HCG 22–40 weeks | 2699–78111 |
Deciphering indicators
When comparing your results with table values, you should consider some nuances:
- The hCG level table shows the obstetric weeks of pregnancy, which are determined based on the last day of menstruation. That is why the hormone norms for a period of less than two weeks are not presented in the table - after all, conception occurs at the end of the second week or at the beginning of the fourth. In order not to get confused, make it a rule that the embryonic term of conception lags behind the obstetric one by about 2 weeks.
- If the analysis showed a hormone level of less than 25 mIU / ml, but more than 5 mIU / ml, then after a few days it is better to retake the analysis in order to fully verify that ovulation has occurred.
- If the result does not fit into the norms of hCG during pregnancy by weeks, do not immediately worry. The obstetrician-gynecologist will prescribe additional studies. It is quite possible that everything is in order with the health of the woman and the unborn baby, and the deviations are caused by the individual characteristics of the organism.
- It is necessary to compare the results obtained with the standards of the laboratory where the tests were taken. Each laboratory uses its own methodology for calculating hormone levels, so the data may vary.
A deviation of the hormone level from the norm by twenty percent, most often, requires a retake of the test. If a repeated test showed an even greater deviation from normal values, the doctor may assume the presence of a pathological process in the body of a pregnant woman. If the repeated result remains the same as the initial one, and the picture of the course of pregnancy does not cause concern for the doctor, then the doctor can consider the increased level of chorionic gonadotropin as an individual feature of the organism.
Very rarely, a single analysis of the hormone level is used - only to determine pregnancy at an early stage. And if the doctor wants to identify or refute the pathological conditions of a woman or fetus, then the level of chorionic gonadotropin is monitored in dynamics.
It is worth considering that not every doctor prescribes tests for his patients to determine this indicator. Do not worry if the obstetrician-gynecologist did not prescribe tests. Probably, everything is fine with you, and the doctor simply sees no reason to prescribe an examination.
Reasons for lowering the level of the hormone:
- ectopic pregnancy;
- chromosomal abnormalities in the development of the fetus;
- death of the fetus in the womb;
- threatened miscarriage or.
Reasons for an increase in the level of the hormone:
- taking hCG for medicinal purposes;
- trophoblastic neoplasm;
- several fruits;
- increased blood sugar levels;
- some fetal malformations.
Fetal anomalies leading to a change in the degree
With the following pathology of fetal development, the level of hCG may change:
- an increase is observed in Down syndrome;
- a low level is observed in Edwards and Patau syndrome;
- with Turner's syndrome, the degree, as a rule, remains unchanged throughout the entire period of bearing a baby;
- serious pathologies of the neural tube or heart of the unborn baby.
If a woman is at risk of developing fetal abnormalities, the doctor may prescribe additional examinations (chorionic biopsy, invasive diagnostics, amniocentesis or cordocentesis).
How is the research done?
In order for the laboratory to determine the level of beta-hCG, a woman needs to donate blood. It is advisable to take the analysis in the morning,. It is recommended to take tests no earlier than on the fifth day of missed menstruation.
If the hCG rate at the 5th week of pregnancy or at another period does not correspond to your results, it is better to repeat the analysis after 2-5 days. The doctor must decipher the results.
In addition to blood, chorionic gonadotropin is determined in the urine and in the amniotic fluid.
At 14-18 weeks, an analysis is performed to determine the level of free hCG. As a rule, the expectant mother receives the result the very next day after the test.
You can take tests a few days after a missed period. But if the test is passed on the thirteenth day after ovulation (and later), then you can get a reliable result, indicating 100% of the onset of ovulation.
The day before donating blood to determine the level of hCG, it is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol and drugs. It is advisable to give up excessive physical activity. Two hours before the test, you can not smoke, drink coffee or tea. Minimize emotional instability and physical activity. Calm down and get a good rest before donating blood or urine.
It is not advisable to have a hormone test after an x-ray, ultrasound, physical therapy, or massage. If you need to retake tests, try to donate blood at the same hours as the first time.
False positive result
False-positive laboratory results may be issued in the following cases:
- After an abortion or delivery, the hormone level will decrease only after 7 days. But to get more reliable results, some medical experts recommend waiting 42 days and then testing.
- There is an opinion that the intake of certain contraceptives affects the level of the hormone. But there is no scientific evidence for this.
- With cystic drift or metastases of choriocarcinoma, its level may increase.
- A high level of the hormone in non-pregnant women and men is observed in trophoblastic malignancy and its metastases.
In other words, in women who are not expecting a baby, the level of chorionic gonadotropin rises in the first days after a medical abortion, with certain diseases and when taking contraceptives.
Immunity against human chorionic gonadotropin
Some of the fair sex produce hCG. Thanks to these antibodies, women cannot become pregnant and bear a child.
Therefore, if a woman has spontaneous miscarriages, she must be tested for antibodies to chorionic gonadotropin. If the study confirmed the presence of antibodies, then the woman is prescribed medication (the first three months of pregnancy).
To summarize the above, I would like to note that determining the level of the hormone in the body of a woman expecting a baby is an important examination that must be carried out. But the results obtained should be deciphered only by a specialist, make hasty conclusions, and even more upset if the results do not correspond to the norm, the expectant mother should not.