Hcg 162 how long. HCG levels by day from conception

HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) or hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a special pregnancy hormone. The level of hCG can be overestimated not only during pregnancy and not only in women. An analysis of the level of free b-hCG is used in the screening of intrauterine development and the presence of fetal pathologies in the first trimester of gestation. Please note that although hCG standards for weeks of pregnancy begin from the first week of embryonic development, at this time the results practically do not differ from hCG indicators in non-pregnant women.

The norms of hCG levels during pregnancy at different times can be seen in the table below. But when evaluating the results of the hCG norm by week of pregnancy, you need to rely only on the norms of the laboratory where you were tested for hCG!

HCG is human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone that is actively produced by the cells of the chorion (fetal membrane) immediately after it attaches to the wall of the uterus. The "production" of this hormone is vital for the preservation and maintenance of pregnancy! It is hCG that controls the production of the main pregnancy hormones - estrogen and progesterone. With a serious lack of hCG, the fertilized egg is detached from the uterus, and menstruation occurs again - in other words, a spontaneous miscarriage occurs. Normally, the concentration of hCG in the blood of the expectant mother is constantly growing, reaching a maximum by the 10-11th week of pregnancy, then the concentration of hCG gradually decreases to remain unchanged until the very birth.

What are the norms of hCG during a normal pregnancy, and what is the level of hCG during an ectopic pregnancy? Pregnant women receive special tables in laboratories that show what the level of hCG should be at different stages of pregnancy.

When deciphering the obtained analysis for hCG, follow the following rules:

1. In most laboratories, the gestational age is indicated "from conception", and not from the date of the last menstrual period.
2. When evaluating the results of the analyzes, always check the standards of the laboratory that performed your analysis. Since different laboratories may have different levels of hCG during pregnancy
3. If your hCG level differs from the norm of the laboratory - do not panic! It is best to decipher the analyzes in dynamics. Retake the analysis in 3-4 days and only then draw conclusions.
4. If you suspect an ectopic pregnancy, be sure to undergo an ultrasound scan to make an accurate diagnosis.

NORM HCG IN THE BLOOD IN WOMEN DURING PREGNANCY

HCG levels during pregnancy honey/ml (INVITRO laboratory standards)

HCG values ​​ranging from 5 to 25 mU / ml do not allow confirming or disproving pregnancy and require re-examination after 2 days.

For the first time, an increase in hCG levels can be detected using a blood test approximately 11 days after conception and 12-14 days after conception using a urinalysis. Since the content of the hormone in the blood is several times higher than in the urine, therefore, a blood test is much more reliable. In a normal pregnancy, in 85% of cases, the level of beta-hCG doubles every 48-72 hours. With increasing gestational age, the time it takes for it to double can increase to 96 hours. HCG levels reach their peak in the first 8-11 weeks of pregnancy, and then starts to decrease and stabilizes during the remaining period.

HCG norms during pregnancy

The human chorionic gonadotropin hormone is measured in milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/mL).

An hCG level of less than 5 mIU / ml indicates the absence of pregnancy, and a value above 25 mIU / ml is considered a confirmation of pregnancy.

As soon as the level reaches 1000-2000 mIU / ml, transvaginal ultrasound should show at least the fetal sac. Since during pregnancy, normal levels of hCG in different women can vary significantly and the date of conception can be calculated erroneously, the diagnosis should not be based on ultrasound results until the hormone level reaches at least 2000 mIU / ml. The result of one analysis for hCG is not enough for most diagnoses. To determine a healthy pregnancy, multiple measurements of human chorionic gonadotropin are needed with a difference of a couple of days.

It is worth noting that these figures should not be used to determine the duration of pregnancy, as these numbers can vary greatly.

To date, there are two types of routine blood tests for hCG. A qualitative test determines the presence of hCG in the blood. A quantitative hCG test (or beta-hCG, b-hCG) measures exactly how much of the hormone is present in the blood.

HCG levels by week

HCG levels by week from the start of the last menstrual period*

3 weeks: 5 - 50 mIU/ml

4 weeks: 5 - 426 mIU/ml

5 weeks: 18 - 7340 mIU/ml

6 weeks: 1080 - 56500 mIU/ml

7-8 weeks: 7650 - 229000 mIU/ml

9-12 weeks: 25700 - 288000 mIU/ml

13-16 weeks: 13300 - 254000 mIU/ml

17-24 weeks: 4060 - 165400 mIU/ml

25-40 weeks: 3640 - 117000 mIU/ml

Non pregnant women:<5 мМЕ/мл

After menopause:<9,5 мМЕ/мл

* These figures are only a guideline - the level of hCG by week for each woman can rise in different ways. It is not so much the numbers that are important, but the trend in the level change.

Is your hCG pregnancy normal?

To determine if your pregnancy is going well, you can use hcg calculator below on this page

By entering two hCG values ​​and the number of days that have passed between tests, as a result, you will find out how long it takes for your beta hCG to double. If the value corresponds to the normal rate at your gestational age, then everything is going well, and if not, you should be alert and conduct additional checks on the condition of the fetus.

HCG doubling rate calculator

At the beginning of pregnancy (the first 4 weeks), the hCG value doubles approximately every two days. During this time, beta-hCG usually manages to rise to 1200 mIU / ml. By 6-7 weeks, the doubling rate slows down to about 72-96 hours. When beta-hCG rises to 6000 mIU / ml, its growth slows down even more. At the tenth week of pregnancy, the maximum is usually reached. On average, it is about 60,000 mIU / ml. Over the next 10 weeks of pregnancy, hCG decreases by about 4 times (to 15,000 mIU / ml) and remains at this value until childbirth. 4-6 weeks after delivery, the level will be less than 5 mIU / ml.

Increasing hCG levels

Men and non-pregnant women:

1. chorioncarcinoma, recurrence of chorioncarcinoma;
2. cystic drift, recurrence of cystic drift;
3. seminoma;
4. testicular teratoma;
5. neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract (including colorectal cancer);
6. neoplasms of the lungs, kidneys, uterus, etc.;
7. the study was conducted within 4 - 5 days after the abortion;
8. taking hCG drugs.

Pregnant women:

1. multiple pregnancy (the level of the indicator increases in proportion to the number of fetuses);
2. prolonged pregnancy;
3. discrepancy between the real and the established gestational age;
4. early toxicosis of pregnant women, preeclampsia;
5. maternal diabetes;
6. fetal chromosomal pathology (most often with Down syndrome, multiple fetal malformations, etc.);
7. taking synthetic gestagens.

Decreased hCG levels

Pregnant women. Alarming level changes: inconsistency with the gestational age, an extremely slow increase or no increase in concentration, a progressive decrease in the level, more than by more than 50% of the norm:

1. ectopic pregnancy;
2. non-developing pregnancy;
3. the threat of interruption (the level of the hormone decreases progressively, by more than 50% of the norm);
4. true prolongation of pregnancy;
5. antenatal fetal death (in II - III trimesters).

False negative results (non-detection of hCG during pregnancy):

1. the test was performed too early;
2. ectopic pregnancy.

Attention! The test has not been specifically validated for use as a tumor marker. HCG molecules secreted by tumors can have both normal and altered structure, which is not always detected by the test system. The results of the test should be interpreted with caution, in comparison with clinical data and the results of other types of examination, they cannot be considered as absolute evidence of the presence or absence of the disease.

Level HCG in ectopic pregnancy will be significantly lower than the specified standards and this will allow you to respond in time to the current situation.

An analysis of the level of free b-hCG is used in the screening of intrauterine development and the presence of fetal pathologies in the first trimester of gestation. This test is carried out between 11 and 14 weeks of embryonic development. Its purpose is to identify possible pathological changes in development in the form of trisomy 18 or 13 pairs of chromosomes. Thus, you can find out the child's tendency to ailments such as Down's disease, Patau and Edwards syndromes.

This test is carried out not as a determination of the predisposition of the fetus to the above ailments, but in order to exclude them, therefore, special indications for the analysis are not required. It is as planned as an ultrasound at week 12.

Increasing hCG levels during pregnancy may occur when:

• multiple pregnancy;
• toxicosis, gestosis;
• maternal diabetes;
• fetal pathologies, Down syndrome, multiple malformations;
• incorrectly established gestational age;
• taking synthetic gestagens, etc.

Elevated values ​​can also be seen within a week when taking an analysis after the abortion procedure. A high level of the hormone after a mini-abortion indicates a progressive pregnancy.

Low hCG levels during pregnancy may indicate a miscalculation of the gestational age or be a sign of serious disorders, such as:

• ectopic pregnancy;
• non-developing pregnancy;
• delay in fetal development;
• the threat of spontaneous abortion;
• chronic placental insufficiency;
• fetal death (in the II-III trimester of pregnancy).

Rules for preparing for a blood test for hCG during pregnancy

1. Blood donation should take place in the morning (from 8 to 10 days). Before taking the test, it is better not to eat fatty foods, do not have breakfast in the morning.
2. The day before blood sampling, it is strictly forbidden to drink alcohol, drugs and engage in physical activity.
3. A couple of hours before the test, do not smoke, do not drink anything other than plain water; eliminate stress and emotional instability. It is better to rest and calm down before the test.
4. It is not recommended to donate blood after physical procedures, examinations, massage, ultrasound and radiography.
5. If it is necessary to retake the test in order to control the indicators, it is recommended not to change the conditions for donating blood (time of day, meals).

HCG test during pregnancy - meaning

Firstly, an analysis of the level of hCG in the blood can confirm that you will become a mother already 5-6 days after conception. This is much earlier and, most importantly, much more reliable than using conventional rapid tests.

Secondly, a test is needed to determine the exact gestational age. Very often, the expectant mother cannot give the exact date of conception, or she calls it, but incorrectly. At the same time, certain indicators of growth and development correspond to each period, deviations from the norm may indicate the occurrence of complications.

Thirdly, the level of hCG in the blood can quite accurately “tell” whether your baby is developing correctly.

An unplanned increase in the level of hCG usually occurs with multiple pregnancy, preeclampsia, taking synthetic progestogens, diabetes in the expectant mother, and can also indicate some hereditary diseases in the baby (for example, Down syndrome) and multiple malformations. An abnormally low level of hCG can be a sign of an ectopic and non-developing pregnancy, fetal growth retardation, the threat of spontaneous abortion, and chronic placental insufficiency.

However, do not rush to sound the alarm: increased or decreased values ​​\u200b\u200bmay also indicate that the gestational age was initially set incorrectly. Your doctor will help you interpret the test results correctly.

The chemical structure of hCG and its role in the body

Glycoprotein is a dimer with a molecular weight of about 46 kDa, synthesized in the placental syncytiotrophoblast. HCG is made up of two subunits: alpha and beta. The alpha subunit is identical to the alpha subunits of the pituitary hormones TSH, FSH, and LH. The beta subunit (β-hCG) used for the immunometric determination of the hormone is unique.

The level of beta-hCG in the blood as early as 6-8 days after conception makes it possible to diagnose pregnancy (the concentration of β-hCG in the urine reaches the diagnostic level 1-2 days later than in the blood serum).

In the first trimester of pregnancy, hCG provides the synthesis of progesterone and estrogens, necessary to maintain pregnancy, by the corpus luteum of the ovary. HCG acts on the corpus luteum like a luteinizing hormone, that is, it supports its existence. This happens until the "fetus-placenta" complex acquires the ability to independently form the necessary hormonal background. In the male fetus, hCG stimulates the Leydig cells that synthesize testosterone, which is necessary for the formation of male reproductive organs.

The synthesis of hCG is carried out by trophoblast cells after implantation of the embryo and continues throughout pregnancy. In the normal course of pregnancy, between 2 - 5 weeks of pregnancy, the content of β-hCG doubles every 1.5 days. The peak concentration of hCG falls on the 10th - 11th week of pregnancy, then its concentration begins to slowly decrease. With multiple pregnancies, the content of hCG increases in proportion to the number of fetuses.

Decreased concentrations of hCG may indicate an ectopic pregnancy or threatened abortion. Determining the content of hCG in combination with other tests (alpha-fetoprotein and free estriol at 15-20 weeks of pregnancy, the so-called "triple test") is used in prenatal diagnosis to identify the risk of fetal abnormalities.

In addition to pregnancy, hCG is used in laboratory diagnostics as a tumor marker for tumors of trophoblastic tissue and germ cells of the ovaries and testes that secrete chorionic gonadotropin.

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Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is one of the types of sex hormones of protein origin, which is produced with pronounced changes in the human reproductive system.

The substance is found in both male and female bodies. Depending on gender, the site of synthesis is the placenta or the pituitary lobes of men. Causes can be pregnancy, tumors, cysts of the epididymis and prostate.

Normal levels of hCG

For men, the natural level of the content of the chorionic hormone is the range of 0-5mU / ml. This concentration is considered optimal, which allows us to speak with confidence about satisfactory human health.

For non-pregnant women of childbearing age, the presence in the blood of no more than 5 mU / ml is considered the norm. substances. The onset of menopause increases this bar to 9 mU / ml.

Attention! The presence in the body of hCG more than 5mU / ml. (in the absence of pregnancy) indicates the development of pathological processes. This is a serious reason to see a doctor!

During pregnancy, hCG is determined 7-10 days after the onset of fertilization. The indicator constantly increases throughout the first trimester, the peak falls on the 10-11th week of embryo development. In this case, the normal level of human chorionic gonadotropin corresponds to the following data:

• 1-2 weeks - 25-200 honey / ml.
• 2-3 weeks - 102-5000 mU / ml.
• 3-4 weeks – up to 30000 mU/ml.
• 4-5 weeks – 2500-82000 honey/ml.
• 5-6 weeks - 23000-150000 honey / ml.
• 6-7 weeks – up to 200000 mU/ml.
• 7-10 weeks - up to 300,000 mU / ml.
• 11-15 weeks – 6000-103000 honey/ml.
• 16-20 weeks – up to 80000 mU/ml.
• 21-39 weeks – 2685–78075 mU/ml.

Important! When diagnosing in different laboratories, the data may differ. Therefore, it is necessary to be guided by the rating scales used by medical personnel at the place of testing.

Interpretation of the analysis for the level of hCG

Interpretation of the survey results consists in reconciling the obtained readings with the normative ones and establishing the possible causes of deviations.

The low value of hCG in the blood is an alarming symptom only for women who are carrying a child. For all other categories of patients, it does not pose any danger.

Seriously, it is worth taking the increased value of the substance. The critical level is a mark of more than 10 mU / ml. In such quantity, it acts as a tumor marker and is regarded as evidence of the occurrence of oncological neoplasms.

Diseases in which the proportion of hCG in blood plasma increases in men and non-pregnant women:

• A benign or malignant tumor (teratoma, seminoma), the localization of which is the patient's testicles or uterus.
• Oncological processes in the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, genitourinary system.
• Cancers in the respiratory system.
• A continuous increase in the content of chorionic hormone is a real sign of the spread of tumor cells to neighboring internal organs.

When taking medications containing hCG, blood levels are also exceeded.

Attention! Analysis and correct interpretation of diagnostic studies is entirely the competence of your attending physician. Self-diagnosis and self-treatment are unacceptable. Exceeding the level of hCG cannot be a 100% basis for oncological diseases. To clarify the entire clinical picture, laboratory parameters must be considered in conjunction with other diagnostic methods.

HCG analysis and interpretation of results in pregnant women

Common pregnancy tests, which are sold in every pharmacy, reveal the fact of fertilization only after a delay in the menstrual cycle. While a blood test for hCG allows you to verify conception at an earlier date.

The hormone itself consists of 2 constituent units - alpha and beta particles. Beta-hCG is responsible for determining the “interesting position”.

For the correct interpretation of the data, it is necessary to compare the results of the survey with the standards characteristic of this period of pregnancy. In case of deviations up or down, the doctor will prescribe additional studies.

The reasons for the increase in the content of this hormone in the blood of women can be:

1. The likelihood of developing multiple (two or more fetuses) pregnancy.
2. Pathology and anomalies of the fetus (genetic and chromosomal diseases, Down syndrome).
3. Diabetes mellitus in the mother.
4. Severe toxicosis in the early stages of pregnancy.
5. Cystic skid (trophoblastic disease resulting in uncontrolled growth of the outer germinal membrane).
6. Preeclampsia (a complication, the symptoms of which are swelling, hypertension, high protein content in the urine).
7. Incorrect statement of the gestational age (discrepancy between the set and the actual one).
8. Taking medicines, which include hCG (usually these are hormonal progestogens - Duphaston, Utrozhestan, Norkolut, etc.).
9. An atypically long pregnancy, without overcarrying the child (due to the individual properties of the female body, the duration of the cycle).

Possible signs of an abnormal decrease in hCG:

1. Ectopic pregnancy.
2. A frozen fetus.
3. Risk of miscarriage.
4. Intrauterine death of the embryo.
5. Overgrowth of the fetus.

Important! To exclude an ectopic pregnancy, which can threaten the health and life of a woman, with a low level of hCG, it is necessary to be examined by ultrasound.

Analysis options

In medical practice, 2 types of blood tests are common:

• General. This type of study is recommended for early detection of pregnancy. If the process proceeds without complications, then the concentration of hCG increases 2 times every 48 hours. The analysis is carried out in combination with prenatal screening - a complex of biochemical, ultrasound procedures aimed at establishing the risks of fetal pathologies.
• Free. It is prescribed in case of suspicion of tumor formation in the placental site. Another reason to visit the laboratory is oncological formations in the ovaries of women or the testicles of men.

Attention! If the result of the analysis for free hCG turned out to be positive, this is not a guarantee that the child has pathological disorders.

Rules for passing the analysis

Blood is taken from a vein. Enzyme immunoassay is used as a laboratory research method. For the correct result and the formulation of an objective medical opinion, it is important to fulfill a few simple requirements.

Preparation for a blood test for the content of chorionic hormone includes the following rules:

• The best option is to take the test in the morning. It is allowed to take at other hours, but you should refrain from eating for 6 hours. until the time of blood sampling.
• The analysis is carried out on an empty stomach.
• On the eve, you should limit the consumption of heavy, fatty foods, alcohol-containing drinks.
• It is necessary to warn the staff about taking medications containing hormones. This may lead to a false test result.
• It is not recommended to conduct an analysis after suffering nervous stress, strong feelings, physical exertion.
• Just before taking venous blood, you don’t have to worry, it’s best to sit quietly for a few minutes.
• If before the tests there is a feeling of dizziness, weakness, fainting, it is necessary to inform the nurse.

Indications for examinations are planned diagnostics of ongoing pregnancy. It is mandatory to prescribe procedures for the threat of spontaneous miscarriage and its accompanying phenomena - bloody discharge from the reproductive system, heaviness and pulling pains in the lower abdomen.

If there is no question of childbearing, then the doctor may send for analysis patients with menstrual irregularities or women who have undergone an induced abortion. When it comes to the male population, swelling of the testicles, discomfort in this area, can be the starting point for hCG analysis.

Research duration

As a rule, it takes 3-4 hours for a laboratory assistant to analyze a person's blood. This is the time to prepare the sample, reagents and tubes for them. If the laboratory conducts research itself, then the result becomes known on the same day.

One of the important diagnostic methods that are carried out during pregnancy is considered to be an analysis for. This study can determine fertilization as early as the fifth to seventh day after conception. In addition, using this analysis, you can set the exact period, because the indicator of this substance varies depending on the week of pregnancy.

From this article, you can also find out what are the reasons for the deviation of hCG from the norm, the hormone values ​​in non-pregnant women, the rules for preparing and conducting the study.

HCG stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. This substance is an important hormone produced by the tissues of the fetus when it attaches to the uterus. HCG is a hormonally active protein.

Therefore, an increase in the value of this substance usually indicates an interesting position for a woman. However, sometimes in the absence of pregnancy in women, the level can also increase. This condition is affected by various causes, including various pathologies. This hormone can also be determined in the male sex, this is due to the fact that it produces a small amount.

An analysis for hCG allows you to establish the exact period of pregnancy.

In addition, the study of this hormone will help determine whether there is a risk of various abnormalities in the formation of the fetus.The usual pregnancy test is to determine the level of the hormone in the urine. But with its help it is impossible to determine the exact timing in comparison with the study of hCG in the blood.

The main role of the hormone is the preservation and proper development of pregnancy, as well as blocking the menstrual cycle. In addition, human chorionic gonadotropin contributes to the activation of the synthesis of hormones that are necessary during pregnancy, namely, progesterone and estrogen.

Preparing and Performing Diagnostics

To get the correct level result, you must follow the rules for preparing for the study.

Experts advise before passing the analysis:

1. Avoid sexual intercourse the day before the study.
2. Do not eat or drink any liquid other than water for four to six hours.
3. Limit physical and psycho-emotional overstrain.
4. Inform the specialist about the use of drugs such as Pregnil, Horagon, the use of Utrozhestan and Duphaston

Blood for hCG is taken venous. To do this, treat the vein piercing area with alcohol. After that, the shoulder zone of the upper limb is clamped with a tourniquet and the required amount of blood is drawn with a syringe.

You can donate blood for a hormone from the fifth day, but according to statistics, the results are found only in 5 percent of pregnant women.

In most cases, the study shows pregnancy only on the eleventh day after fertilization.

When a pregnant woman does not know the exact day when conception occurred, it is recommended to take blood for analysis 3-4 weeks after the first day of menstruation.

Usually, experts advise to examine the blood for hormones several times at intervals of a couple of days.It is important to say that there are false results as a result of incorrect blood sampling or defective reagents.

Normal hCG by week of pregnancy

In pregnant women, the value of the hormone depends on the week of bearing the child. In this case, it is not the day of fertilization that is taken into account, but the first day of the last menstruation. Normally, an increase in the indicator for 8-11 weeks and a gradual decrease after.

Chorionic hormone is measured in honey per milliliter. The normal value for weeks during pregnancy is as follows:

• First-second: 25-300 mU/ml
• Second-third: 1500-5000 mU/ml
• Third-fourth: 10000-30000 mU / ml
• Fourth-fifth: 20000-100000 mU / ml
• Fifth-seventh: 50000-200000 mU / ml
• Eighth-ninth: 20000-200000 mU / ml
• tenth-twelfth: 20000-95000 mU / ml
• Thirteenth-fourteenth: 15000-60000 mU / ml
• Fifteenth - twenty-fifth: 10000-35000 mU / ml
• Twenty-sixth - thirty-seventh: 10000-60000 mU / ml

Some of them more than once. But when the doctor begins to prescribe the same analysis over and over again, the woman is seriously alarmed ... Such a multiple analysis can be an analysis for the level of hCG. But in most cases, it is done for the first time at the stage of diagnosing pregnancy. After all, this is one of the first indicators, according to the level of which in the urine and especially in the blood one can judge the conception that has taken place in the very early stages.

What is HCG?

HCG is human chorionic gonadotropin. This is a special hormone that the chorion secretes after the implantation of a fertilized egg in the uterus. Accordingly, by its presence or absence and by the level of hCG in the blood, pregnancy or its absence can be determined. Determining the level of hCG during the period of bearing a child at different times is necessary to identify pathologies in the development of the fetus or to confirm a normal pregnancy.

But the level of hCG can be overestimated not only during pregnancy and not only in women. This indicator may indicate the presence of certain diseases. Also, overestimated rates in the absence of pregnancy may remain for several days after the abortion.

Chorionic gonadotropin consists of alpha and beta particles. It is the beta unit that is unique in its structure, therefore, when diagnosing pregnancy, a blood test for b-hCG is taken.

Determining the level of hCG in the blood plasma is a very accurate method for determining the accomplished conception. Already on the 2-3 day of the delay in menstruation, you can conduct this laboratory examination. The result will be positive 6-10 days after fertilization. For higher accuracy, it is recommended to repeat the analysis and conduct an ultravaginal ultrasound in parallel.

By the way, they 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.

HCG levels during pregnancy

So, after the formation, the chorion begins to secrete this very gonadotropin, according to the growing level of which we can judge the completed conception and development of pregnancy. This happens very quickly. The hCG level doubles every two days, reaching its peak at 7-10 weeks. After that, it begins to gradually decrease, remaining almost at the same level in the second half of pregnancy.

By how quickly or slowly the level of hCG rises, the doctor can judge a normally developing pregnancy or lagging processes. And at 14-18 weeks, this indicator can determine the developing pathology. So the analysis for hCG is nothing more than a precautionary measure. Treat him calmly.

The medical opinion is based on many studies, but still the level of hCG plays one of the most important roles. In men and non-pregnant women, this figure can normally be up to 5 mU / ml, and during pregnancy, as we have already said, it is constantly changing.

The norms of hCG levels during pregnancy at different times can be summarized in the following table:

We want to note right away that the normal indicators may differ from those given in the table depending on various factors, including the individual laboratory and the research methods used in it - each laboratory has its own table of normal indicators. Therefore, an adequate assessment of the analysis can only be carried out by a qualified doctor. Don't do it for him.

Deviations from the norm of hCG during pregnancy

However, in some cases, hCG levels during pregnancy may go beyond the norm in one direction or another. It is clear that this is not good. Both elevated and reduced levels of hCG indicate violations in the development of pregnancy or the presence of some complications.

Elevated levels of hCG during pregnancy may indicate a multiple pregnancy, and gestosis, the development of fetal pathology (for example, Down syndrome), and also manifest itself in a woman's diabetes mellitus or when she takes synthetic progestogens. Underestimated rates are observed in ectopic pregnancy, frozen or non-developing pregnancy, the threat of miscarriage, fetal growth retardation, chronic placental insufficiency, true pregnancy overshoot.

HCG levels that are out of the norm for a particular week of pregnancy can be observed if the gestational age is incorrectly established.

Among other things, hCG may be completely absent in the blood. This is possible if and if the laboratory analysis is carried out too early.

It should also be borne in mind that in order to obtain correct data for the analysis, it is necessary to prepare and pass it correctly. The doctor should tell you about this, but in general terms, you need to know that the analysis for b-hCG is taken in the morning on an empty stomach or at another time of the day, if before that you did not eat or drink anything for at least 4-6 hours . Blood for hCG is taken from a vein. For a higher reliability of the test, it is recommended to exclude physical activity on the eve of the study. If you are taking any hormonal drugs, you should tell the laboratory staff and the doctor who will decipher the data.

Do not be alarmed if, between 14 and 18 weeks, in addition to analyzing the level of hCG, the doctor will prescribe you a lot of others - this is necessary to diagnose or exclude the possible development of fetal pathology.

May your HCG be normal!

Specially for- Elena Kichak