What day hCG is on 15. How does hCG increase during pregnancy
Human chorionic gonadotropin is also referred to as the "pregnancy maintenance hormone". It acts as a stimulant for the production of the hormone progesterone and cannot continue to exist without pregnancy. The hCG level rises daily until the 13th week after conception. The test for it is done throughout the entire period to determine the successful transfer of the embryo during artificial insemination.
About a week after the fertilization of the egg, a blastocyst is formed in the womb - a sphere with liquid, the outer shell of which consists of dozens of cells. It is necessary for the formation of tissue from which the child and the placenta subsequently develop, and exists until it enters the uterus.
Upon contact with the endometrium (mucous membrane), biologically active hCG is produced. As a result of the interaction of the blastocyst with chorionic gonadotropin, primary chorionic villi are formed - the early part of the placenta.
HCG stimulates the corpus luteum in the ovary to secrete another hormone, progesterone, which builds the endometrium and signals via feedback to the pituitary gland that ovulation is no longer needed, and informs the mother's body about pregnancy. This usually happens about six days after ovulation or embryo transfer.
Starting around the 16th week from conception, the placenta itself is able to make enough progesterone, so the importance of the corpus luteum and hCG decreases.
What information does it contain?
The detection of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood is a sign that you are pregnant, a test for it from a doctor can be carried out for about seven days from conception.
In contrast, conventional tests provide a reliable result only from the 5th week. After embryo transfer during IVF (artificial insemination), the test is done on the 14th day.
The level of hormone concentration can be very high due to multiple pregnancy, embryonic mutations or degeneration of the germinal part of the placenta.
A very low increase in values may indicate a non-viable embryo or an ectopic pregnancy. Therefore, at the initial stage, the test is of great importance and is sometimes carried out several times.
To check the norm, a special table is used, which you can see below. Be careful - after embryo transfer, the level of hCG by day is higher than during normal conception, and it cannot be counted from ovulation.
https://youtu.be/O71wh43mQKo
HCG is made up of two subunits:
- alpha subunits;
- beta subunits (known as beta hCG).
The general pharmacy test contains antibodies that react to beta-hCG levels. These tests have varying sensitivities, with the most sensitive being able to detect a suspected pregnancy about ten days after conception.
The hormone in the blood can be detected about eight days from fertilization. Ask your gynecologist for a referral for an analysis.
Blood test results:
- non-pregnant - 5 international units per liter (IU / l);
- pregnant women - more than 20 IU / l (depending on the test).
If the result fluctuates between these values, test again later if ovulation does not occur.
Pregnancy levels
In the first weeks, the concentration of hCG increases. The value doubles roughly every two to three days.
The highest levels of hCG in the blood are at the 10-12th week after conception, or approximately between the 60th and 90th day. The value increases to 50000-100000 IU / l of blood.
Then the growth stops and constantly falls, and somewhere on the 140th day it shows 1000-20000 IU / l, until it becomes constant until the birth of the child.
The following table presents normal values during pregnancy. In women who give birth for the first time, the level rarely, but sometimes rises to a maximum of 100,000-200,000 international units per liter (IU/l).
| Weeks after the menstrual cycle | The value of hCG in IU / l |
| 3-4 | 9-130 |
| 4-5 | 75-2600 |
| 5-6 | 850-20800 |
| 6-7 | 4000-100200 |
| 7-12 | 11500-289000 |
| 12-16 | 18300-137000 |
| 16-29 (= 2nd trimester) | 1400-53000 |
| 29-41(= 3rd trimester) | 940-60000 |
Table of normal hormone levels after a few days of ovulation:
If on the 14th day after the embryo transfer, the amount of the hormone is less than 25, pregnancy has not occurred, and the level above the average may indicate several fetuses.
Possible deviations from the norm
False positive result
HCG in a small amount is constantly present in the body, but its level can only increase due to conception or:
False negative result
You can get this effect in the following cases:
- The test was carried out before the amount of hormones increased to the sensitivity mark.
- HCG levels are higher when a woman is having a girl. So the pregnancy test for a boy later becomes positive.
- May be due to ectopic pregnancy.
Lowered levels
If the level is too low or growth is slow, there may be several reasons for this:
- incorrect calculation of the term (gestational age);
- ectopic pregnancy;
- placental insufficiency;
- the threat of premature birth or miscarriage.
Elevated Levels
Increased growth of human chorionic gonadotropin is observed due to multiple fetuses (eg, twins), toxicosis, but also in benign or malignant diseases of the blastocyst.
These include:
- hydatidiform mole, disorder of placental development (from 500,000 to 1,000,000 IU / l hCG);
- malignant tumors that develop from the cells of the blastula wall (choriocarcinoma);
- combinations with other indicators may indicate preeclampsia, diabetes in the mother or genetic pathology in the unborn fetus.
HCG in first trimester screening
The so-called first screening is a test that takes place from 11 to 14 weeks after conception or embryo transfer. Screening is used to determine abnormalities in chromosomes.
As part of the screening, the level of hCG in the mother's blood is measured. Chromosomes carry genetic information and may change structurally or be in the wrong number. In such cases, they speak of chromosomal aberrations (mutations). Based on this data, the doctor calculates the statistical probability of having a child with trisomy-21 (Down's syndrome) or some other genetic defect. The value of beta-hCG in children with this syndrome is usually significantly higher than in others.
Statistical tests are based on the result of two blood tests, an ultrasound, and a calculation of the gestational age from conception or last ovulation.
The test result can sometimes indicate chromosomal mutations, although the child is completely healthy. One test can never give a reliable result!
If in doubt, and the risk of abnormalities increases significantly, an analysis of the expectant mother's amniotic fluid is considered. Amniocentesis provides a reliable result, but comes with some risks.
conclusions
The hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is responsible for maintaining pregnancy and begins to rise after conception. It stimulates the production of progesterone in the corpus luteum and fulfills its role as its supplier up to 4 months. Also, its injections are used to induce ovulation in infertility.
At the beginning of pregnancy, the hormone performs various diagnostic functions, and its monitoring is very useful to check for abnormalities and is necessary after embryo transfer in artificial insemination.
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 it is already possible to 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”.
Tests that 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 a 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.
Urgent surgical intervention to save the woman's life. Norms by week
HCG is human chorionic gonadotropin, which is produced in a woman 5-6 days after fertilization. At home, pregnancy can be diagnosed in the urine on the 14th day after conception. It is during this period that the hormone begins to enter the urine. Its peak is reached at the 10th week of pregnancy, after which the concentration decreases and remains in this way until childbirth. Let us consider in more detail how hCG changes by day and the rules for preparing for analysis.
To determine hCG by day from conception, women usually take blood or urine in the laboratory. This material is subject to full research. Doctors say that the release of the hCG hormone into the blood occurs much earlier than ultrasound can determine or urine can show.
Therefore, by donating blood for analysis, you can find out about the fact of pregnancy and find out how long the embryo is, and determine the date of conception.
Many of the fair sex can conduct a test at home. Every woman knows that these are two strips that show pregnancy. And women use this test as soon as there is a delay in menstruation.
The probability of such a test is 98 - 99 percent. But for more reliable information about the duration and course of pregnancy, you should still trust laboratory tests. It is there that they will be able to determine when the conception occurred, and for how long the woman is already.
The analysis will show how many days the baby actually has. According to obstetric indications, the calculation of pregnancy is taken from the day of the last menstruation, but this method of determining the gestational age does not give accurate results.
It is advisable to conduct a study on the concentration of hCG, donating blood. Some laboratories determine the concentration and growth of hCG according to DPO (the day after ovulation). And depending on its change, the gestational age is set.
After the onset of DPO, the egg, which has already been fertilized, begins to move through the fallopian tubes in the first week of the embryo's life. And only by two weeks it is fixed in the uterus. After that, the hCG hormone begins to be produced.
A laboratory study will determine at what stage after DPO the embryo is fixed in the uterus. Therefore, in laboratories, the level of hCG is determined by DPO, and this is considered the most effective and reliable analysis.
The most common purpose of conducting this study is to determine the presence of pregnancy, and to identify the norm or pathology. But, besides this, a woman can donate blood for hCG for such studies:
- To determine the course of pregnancy.
- Suspicion of a tumor in the uterus.
- Determining the quality of artificial insemination.
- If there is a threat of miscarriage.
And also men can undergo this study to determine or refute the presence of tumors on the testicles. The taken material (blood) is examined for two elements: an alpha particle and a beta particle. By the number of beta particles, the fact of pregnancy, or vice versa, its absence is established.
In a woman in the first days of pregnancy, the chorion (fetal membrane) is responsible for the production of the hCG hormone, she takes responsibility for the growth and development of the embryo. This happens until the placenta is formed, which subsequently takes over all the work for itself.
Blood test for hCG: Rules for preparing for analysis
Before the patient is prescribed this analysis, the doctor gives information on how to prepare for the study. No special diets or impossible tasks are required to properly donate blood for analysis.
- Blood is taken in the morning on an empty stomach.
- You shouldn't overstress.
- Avoid physical and emotional stress.
- The day before the analysis, it is desirable to be more in the fresh air.
- Notify the doctor when the last hormonal drugs were taken.
- After a delay in menstruation, at least a week should pass.
Although some laboratories invite you to test after 5 days of delay, there is no guarantee that you will not have to retake the test. Therefore, it is desirable to withstand a short period in order to obtain a reliable analysis.
Deciphering the analysis: Change in hCG by day
As the embryo grows, the concentration of hCG in the body also changes, the table below will help you figure out at what time its level begins to rise and at what time it stops. The norm of hCG by day after conception:
| Time after DPO | HCG minimum Me / ml. | HCG maximum Me / ml. |
| 7 | 2 | 13 |
| 8 | 3 | 20 |
| 9 | 5 | 25 |
| 10 | 8 | 28 |
| 11 | 11 | 47 |
| 12 | 17 | 65 |
| 13 | 22 | 105 |
| 14 | 29 | 170 |
| 15 | 39 | 240 |
| 16 | 68 | 400 |
| 17 | 120 | 580 |
| 18 | 220 | 840 |
| 19 | 370 | 1 300 |
| 20 | 520 | 2 000 |
| 21 | 750 | 3 100 |
| 22 | 1 050 | 4 900 |
| 23 | 1 400 | 6 200 |
| 24 | 1 830 | 7 800 |
| 25 | 2 400 | 9 800 |
| 26 | 4 200 | 15 600 |
| 27 | 5 400 | 19 500 |
| 28 | 7 100 | 27 300 |
| 29 | 8 800 | 33 000 |
| 30 | 10 500 | 40 000 |
| 31 | 11 500 | 60 000 |
| 32 | 12 800 | 63 000 |
| 33 | 14 000 | 38 000 |
| 34 | 15 500 | 72 000 |
| 35 | 17 000 | 76 000 |
| 36 | 19 000 | 79 000 |
| 37 | 20 500 | 85 000 |
| 38 | 22 000 | 88 000 |
| 39 | 23 000 | 94 000 |
| 40 | 58 000 | 109 000 |
The table shows that the growth of hCG by day during pregnancy changes and its growth is quite high in the first days of pregnancy. Its growth doubles up to 11 weeks, this happens every one and a half to two days after conception. Then the growth rate of the hormone decreases and remains at this value until the end of pregnancy - until childbirth.
Consider how the growth of hCG occurs by week, the norm in the table:
| Readings by week | The norm of hCG Me / ml |
| 3 | 9 – 131 |
| 4 | 75 – 2601 |
| 5 | 851 – 20 801 |
| 6 | 4001 – 10 2002 |
| 7 — 12 | 11 502 – 28 902 |
| 12 — 16 | 18 301 – 137 002 |
| 2 trimester | 1 403 – 53 002 |
| 3rd trimester | 940 – 60 003 |
If the level of hCG is much higher than normal values, this may indicate a multiple pregnancy. If on the 14th day, after the embryo was transferred to the walls of the uterus, the level of hCG is low and is 25 IU, then pregnancy has not occurred.
Conclusion
HCG is human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone produced by the cell membranes of the embryo. This occurs after the attachment of a fertilized egg to the endometrium.
"Pregnancy Preservation Hormone"- this is how hCG is mentioned. Due to stimulation by chorionic genadotropin, progesterone is produced. The level of hCG by day from conception cannot exist outside of pregnancy. Special testing for hCG is carried out throughout the entire period, because its level is constantly growing until the 13th week of gestation.
The discovery of hCG
For a long time, it was practically impossible to establish whether conception happened at an early stage. And in general, the pregnancy itself was determined by interviewing a woman and through scientific experiments.
Only in 1927, the hCG hormone was discovered in the urine and blood of future women in labor, this was a real breakthrough in medicine. Relevant studies only convinced everyone that the level of hCG on certain days of conception is really contained in the tissues of the placenta and only during the period of bearing a child. That is, it confirms the presence of the occurred conception.
Based on this discovery, in 1971, the first test was developed for self-detection of pregnancy at home. Since then, work in this direction has not stopped.
What is HCG?
About a week after the conception process, a specific capsule with liquid contents appears, its shell consists of many cells. This capsule is called the blastocyst and its significance is enormous - it plays a role in building the tissue from which the placenta and the child itself will develop. The existence of the blastocyst will last until it enters the uterus and conception occurs.
It is as a result of contact of the blastocyst with the endometrium that an active level of hCG is produced on the days of conception. And only then, when the blastocyst comes into contact with chorionic gonadotropin, the first chorionic villi appear - this is the very first part of the placenta.
The synthesis of progesterone in a woman's body is also not complete without the participation of hCG (the hormone of conception). After all, it is hCG that affects the corpus luteum of the ovary in such a way that the ovary begins to produce progesterone. In turn, progesterone is no less important - it is involved in the formation of the endometrium and sends signals to the pituitary gland that there is no need for ovulation. That is, that the conception has already been successful.
As a rule, this happens on the sixth day after successful ovulation or embryo transfer (IVF).
Starting from the sixteenth week, the need for hCG levels decreases, as the placenta is already sufficiently developed to produce progesterone itself.
Alpha HCG and Beta HCG- These are two types of chorionic gonadotropin. Alpha-hCG has an obvious similarity with other body hormones. But Beta - hCG - is simply unique and is produced only during the period of successful conception. Beta-hCG plays a role in the safety of the child in the early stages of pregnancy. This is a very difficult process, because a woman's body tends to perceive a fertilized egg as a foreign body and the immune system tries with all its might to reject it during the process of conception.
The level of hCG acts on the immune system overwhelmingly, which helps to maintain pregnancy.
A blood test for hCG levels shows successful conception from the seventh day from the moment of conception. For comparison: ordinary testing determines pregnancy exactly from the fifth week.
In the case of replanting the embryo into the uterus, the level of hCG is done already at the fourteenth week. Multiple conception contributes to an even higher level of hCG in the blood of a future woman in labor.
The test for conception, sold in pharmacies, is based precisely on the detection of the level of hCG. This is possible because it contains special antibodies that react to hCG.
Pharmacy tests have different sensitivity to the level of hCG and the most susceptible of them determine pregnancy already for a period of about ten days from the moment of conception.
How hCG levels change
The level of hCG, as mentioned earlier, will not be the same throughout pregnancy. Its value increases from the first days after fertilization and doubles every two or three days. The highest levels are at 10-12 weeks. After overcoming this peak, hCG begins to gradually decrease and this happens until about the 140th day of conception - then the level of hCG stabilizes and remains unchanged until the end of pregnancy.
All these data are combined into a table that clearly indicates the normal level of hCG.
| A week | Level indicator, IU/l |
|---|---|
| 3-4 weeks of the menstrual cycle | 9-130 |
| 4-5 | 75-2600 |
| 5-6 | 850-20800 |
| 6-7 | 400-100200 |
| 7-12 | 11500-289000 |
| 12-16 | 18300- 137000 |
| 16-29 (second trimester) | 1400 – 53000 |
| 29-41 (third trimester) | 940-60000 |
To determine the level of hCG and its concentration, a laboratory study of urine and blood is carried out. However, according to the result of the blood, confirmation can be obtained faster - the release of chorionic gonadotropin into the blood is carried out faster for several weeks.
There is also a table that clearly demonstrates the fluctuations in the level of hCG by day from conception.
| days from conception | HCG level indicator |
|---|---|
| 7 days (embryo age) | 4-2-10 (average-minimum-maximum hCG level in mU/ml). |
| Day 8 | 7-3-18 |
| Day 9 | 11-5-21 |
| Day 10 | 18-3-26 |
| Day 11 | 28-11-45 |
| day 12 | 45-17-65 |
| day 13 | 73-25-105 |
| day 14 | 105-29-170 |
| day 15 | 160-39-240 |
| Day 16 | 260-68-400 |
| day 17 | 410-120-580 |
| Day 18 | 650-220-840 |
| day 19 | 980-370-1300 |
| Day 20 | 1380-520- 2000 |
| 21 day | 1960-750-3100 |
| Day 22 | 2680-1050-4900 |
| Day 23 | 3550-1400-6200 |
| Day 24 | 4650-1830-7800 |
| Day 25 | 6150-2400- 9800 |
| Day 26 | 8160-4200- 15600 |
| Day 27 | 10200-5400-19500 |
| Day 28 | 11300-711-27300 |
| Day 29 | 13600-8800-33000 |
| Day 30 | 16500-10500-40000 |
| 31 days | 19500-11500-60000 |
| Day 32 | 22600-12800-63000 |
| Day 33 | 24000-14000-38000 |
| Day 34 | 27200-15500-70000 |
| Day 35 | 31000-17000-74000 |
| Day 36 | 36000-19000-78000 |
| Day 37 | 39500-20500-83000 |
| Day 38 | 45000-22000-87000 |
| day 39 | 51000-23000-93000 |
| Day 40 | 58000-58000-108000 |
| 41 days | 62000-6200-117000 |
From the table above, you can see that at first it takes 2 days to double the result, then it takes three days, and for a period of 7-8 weeks, the indicator doubles in four days. That is, there is a peculiar dynamics in the increase in the level of hCG.
Already after the 20th week, the concentration of hCG does not change dramatically, then only on the eve of the birth itself, it will slightly increase.
Doctors explain such fluctuations by the individual physiological characteristics of the future woman in labor. At the initial stage of the evolution of the embryo, the growth of hCG is due to both the rapid development of the fetus and placenta, and various changes in the body, including hormonal ones. But already on the 10th week from conception, the picture changes: the placenta has already changed enough and its hormonal function is declining.
Now the placenta acts as the most important element that supplies the baby with nutrients for normal development, as well as oxygen. It is because of this that during this period one can observe a decrease in the level of hCG.
Why is hCG analysis prescribed?
Why take an analysis for the level of the hormone after conception:
- early detection of successful conception.
- monitoring of pregnancy in dynamics.
- diagnosing malformations of the anatomical development of the fetus.
- exclusion of tubal, ovarian or other types of conception outside the uterus.
- assessment of induced abortion.
- definition of the threat of miscarriage.
- diagnosis of tumor processes and amenorrhea.
If the result is below normal
It is very alarming when the hCG level is below normal and if this deviation is more than 20%. You should also be wary if the growth of hCG is slow. But if the patient receives a result that is questionable, then it must be needs to be confirmed by re-examination. Only the results of one laboratory can be compared. Comparisons and conclusions must be considered by a doctor. If it is nevertheless confirmed that the level of hCG is lowered, this indicates:
- incorrectly set term of conception;
- missed pregnancy or actual death of the fetus;
- conception outside the body of the uterus;
- untimely embryonic development;
- the likelihood of a miscarriage;
- more than 40 weeks from conception;
- chronic placental insufficiency.
As can be seen from the above, these are very serious reasons that cannot be ignored. Therefore, it is necessary to undergo an ultrasound examination, which, for sure, will be advised by the doctor.
An ectopic conception is insidious in that at first the level of hCG in case of improper development of the egg is not too less than normal. But later the drop in level is very rapid. In this case, it is extremely important to urgently undergo an ultrasound scan, which will accurately determine the fixation of the embryo and allow you to take the necessary measures. This condition can pose a direct threat to a woman's life.
A frozen conception means that the fetus is dead and, for some reason, is still in the body. At the same time, hCG remains at the same level for some time, and then begins to fall. The doctor can immediately determine that the uterus is sealed - this is because the fetus cannot leave the body. Such a conception does not depend on the term, it can happen in any trimester. So far, the specific factors of this pathology have not been precisely established.
The result is above the norm
Unlike the previous one, a high level of hCG is not so critical. It indicates a multiple conception or severe toxicosis in a woman. Here it is very important to consider the data of the analysis in conjunction with all other studies. If the indicators of other analyzes also have significant deviations from the normal level, this means the presence of diseases such as diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia. When using hormonal drugs in women, an increase in the level of hCG can be observed.
A high concentration of hCG, in combination with low estriol and ACE, indicates a real threat of the birth of a child with Down syndrome.
In this regard, in order to detect any pathology in time, two screening examinations are carried out. At a period of 11-14 weeks, the first screening is scheduled. It implies a mandatory study of the level of chorionic gonadotropin. Based on its results, the doctor must calculate the possibility of the birth of a child with chromosomal disorders.
The data from the first screening will then have to confirm or refute the data from the second screening at 16-17 weeks. The probability of an absolutely healthy child with an elevated level of hCG is not excluded. In this case, an analysis of the amniotic fluid is shown - it gives a very accurate result.
In diseases of the blastocyst, both benign and malignant, the level of hCG may increase.
False positive result
A small amount of human chorionic gonadotropin is always present in the body. It is elevated due to a conception that has occurred or in situations such as:
- taking special medicines for infertility. Thanks to the injection of such a medication, elevated hCG will persist for another two weeks in the body;
- malignant tumors;
- the use of anticancer drugs and drugs for infertility.
False negative result
This kind of result can be obtained if:
- the analysis was carried out too early, even before the hormones increased to the threshold of sensitivity.
- if the fetus is female. A distinctive feature is that if the fetus is male, then the increase in hCG levels may begin later.
- ectopic conception.
Experts often advise taking an analysis for hCG twice with an interval of two days. This is necessary to obtain an accurate result. If the second analysis shows higher values than the first, then only then the doctor will be able to state a positive trend. This will mean that conception has occurred. Normally, during this time, hCG should increase by 1.5-2 times. If during these two days the hCG has remained the same or even decreased, this shows that the egg has not been fertilized.
It would not be superfluous to ask in more detail about the norms in this laboratory when taking tests, this is due to the fact that the values of different laboratories can differ significantly from each other.
The norm of hCG in the absence of conception
Conducting this study is necessary not only when establishing the fact of pregnancy. It is indicated for suspected uterine fibroids, ovarian cancer. In such cases, an analysis for the level of hCG is prescribed in combination with other examinations and will help to accurately diagnose diseases.
During menopause, due to the restructuring of body functions, hCG can normally be contained in an amount of 9.5 mU / ml.
If an elevated hCG is found in a non-pregnant woman, then this may mean:
- the presence in the blood of substances similar to human chorionic gonadotropin.
- HCG is synthesized by the female pituitary gland.
- the patient is taking medications containing hCG.
- HCG is produced by a tumor that develops in any organ.
In cases of detecting hCG outside of conception, subsequent examinations are prescribed to confirm or refute the diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment.
Immunity against hCG
It is extremely rare for a woman's body to produce antibodies to the chorionic hormone. These antibodies prevent the fertilized egg from attaching to the uterine cavity, and also prevent it from developing normally later.
If conception ends in a miscarriage and this has happened more than twice, then it is all the more important to know the level of hCG in the blood, as well as an analysis for antibodies to hCG. This will accurately indicate whether there are any abnormalities in the body. If the result confirms the presence of antibodies, then during the entire first trimester, you will have to take appropriate treatment with hormonal drugs and other drugs.
The determination of the level of hCG is also carried out by urinalysis and its reliability is 97-98%. For analysis, the first morning urine is collected, that is, its last portion.
Urinalysis for hCG may also be indicated for diagnosing amenorrhea, uterine bleeding, malignant neoplasms in the appendages and uterus, and some other diseases.
In the normal course of pregnancy, hCG in the urine can be detected as early as 5-7 days after fertilization. At this stage, the hCG rate is 50 mIU / ml or more. Its maximum content in the urine falls on the 8th-9th week of the first trimester.
At this time, the function of chorionic gonadotropin is to control the corpus luteum and stimulate the synthesis of hormones that affect the normal development of pregnancy.
When the first trimester ends, all the functions of the hCG level are already performed by the placenta. The concentration of the level of hCG in the urine from this time begins to decline.
The presence of hCG can also be detected in the blood of non-pregnant women, it should normally not be more than 10 mIU / ml
HCG levels in urine:
| A week | Level indicator, honey\ml |
|---|---|
| 1-2 | 17-233 |
| 2-3 | 1067-3667 |
| 3-4 | 7334-20667 |
| 4-5 | 14000-66667 |
| 5-7 | 34000-133334 |
| 7-8 | 14000-133334 |
| 8-9 | 14000-66667 |
| 9-10 | 16667-63334 |
| 11-12 | 16667-60000 |
| 13-14 | 10000-40000 |
| 15-25 | 10000-23334 |
| 26-38 | 6667-40000 |
An elevated hCG level in the urine can be in the following cases:
- multiple conception;
- malignant formation in the uterine cavity (most often due to abortion);
- diseases of chorion cells;
- cancerous tumors in the ovaries, lungs, breasts;
- infertility treatment.
Low hCG in urine:
- the threat of spontaneous abortion;
- frozen conception;
- tubal or other type of ectopic pregnancy.
Preservation of pregnancy, its normal resolution directly depends on human chorionic gonadotropin and its concentration in the woman's blood. It performs different functions during pregnancy, but they are all equally important for the normal formation and development of the fetus.
Conclusion
Determining the level of hCG is very important in monitoring the health of both the woman and the unborn child. It is important that the analysis is prescribed exclusively by the doctor, and the results are interpreted by him. Misinterpretation of the results of the study is unnecessary worries and experiences, extremely undesirable during the period of bearing a child.
Therefore, during the period of planning and carrying a pregnancy, it is very important to accurately and, most importantly, follow all the doctor's recommendations in a timely manner and not worry in advance. With the current level of development of medicine, many pathological processes are perfectly amenable to correction and treatment. The only condition for this is their timely and accurate diagnosis. All modern research is directed and working in this direction.
We note right away: the management of pregnancy, as well as the appointment of various tests, is the competence of a specialist. Only a doctor who specializes in these issues will be able to correctly assess the condition of a woman and her fetus. It would be better if a woman gets acquainted with the hCG indicators by day, and fulfills all the appointments, as well as the recommendations of a specialist.
Deciphering the concept of hCG
First, let's decipher what this concept means. This is which is the pregnancy maintenance hormone. It is also a progesterone stimulant, which does not exist without pregnancy.
The rise in hCG during pregnancy
The level of human chorionic gonadotropin continues to rise even after 10 days after the start of conception. And the process finally stops already at the thirteenth week. You need to know how hCG grows by the day, and ways to control it. Do tests on the volume of the hormone in the blood for a successful embryo transfer during the processes of artificial fertilization of the egg or the calculation of ovulation.
When the egg is fertilized, a blastocyst begins to form after 7 days. This is such a sphere containing water and dozens of cells. It is needed primarily for the tissue that is being formed. And from it later, the child begins its development. The lifetime of such matter is limited. Tissue develops until it enters the uterus, but it doesn't happen overnight.
When the epidermis contacts the blastocyst, active hCG is produced - further, the initial chorionic villi are formed, which are the first part of the placenta.
Human chorionic gonadotropin has an important property: the corpus luteum in the organ (ovary) is stimulated to produce another substance - progesterone. It forms the endometrium and gives signals through the nervous system to the pituitary gland, which are recognized - the process “ovulation is no longer needed” starts.
Starting at about 4 months from conception, the fetal membrane in the mother's abdomen by itself spills out enough progesterone, so the importance of the corpus luteum and hCG decreases by the day.
Are there HCG standards?
There are daily and weekly rates.
Daily
The higher the level of this hormone, the stronger it can affect fertilization and the development of pregnancy. This process is very fast. To understand how hCG grows, it is enough to know that at the beginning of the trimester, the volume of the hormone becomes 2 times higher. The highest level will be on the seventh to tenth week. And then the hormone levels drop. The doctor, depending on the growth rate of the hormone, can understand how the pregnancy is going.
Weekly
From fourteen to eighteen weeks, the hormone coefficients indicate the manifestation of pathological changes in the development of the fetus. It is at this time that surveillance is the best measure for protection.
Remember what is measured in days from conception.
Deviations from the norm
High human chorionic gonadotropin and possible problems and deviations:
- Both a high and a small number of hCG in the blood indicate big problems during pregnancy or even the onset of complications.
- A high degree of hCG during fetal development will indicate the presence of pregnancy with preeclampsia, toxicosis.
- There may also be abnormalities in the chromosomes. That is, when a chromosome is missing, or an extra one appears, various genetic diseases begin (for example, Down syndrome).
An increase in hCG is observed mainly in two pathologies:
- diabetes;
- a pregnant woman takes a synthetic progestogen.
What will give a low score?
Underestimated levels of the hormone are a signal, as well as such pathologies:
- visually - stopping the activity of the fetus or lagging behind its development;
- the likelihood of spontaneous abortion;
- chronic placental insufficiency;
- the fetus is postponed due to anatomical features.
In addition, the volume of the hormone, which has obvious differences at the exact gestational age, cannot be considered pathological if the time period for the onset of fetal development and other processes is set incorrectly. It happens that the hormone is not observed at all. This happens if there is a pregnancy outside the organ of the uterus or the analysis is done too early.
It must be borne in mind that in order to obtain the correct result of the analysis, the rules must be followed. The basic rule is that a blood test for “b-hCG” must be carried out. Do not drink or eat before six hours.
To examine the level of hCG - blood is taken from a vein. The procedure is not 100% accurate, but to increase the reliability of the data, it is recommended to avoid physical activity before taking the tests.
If there are diseases that require hormones, then you need to notify laboratory assistants and doctors about this, who will decipher the information received.
What should be taken into account when decrypting?
By week, obstetric weeks are shown, reporting from the start date of the final menstruation. Because of this, it will not be possible to understand the hCG rate of two weeks - this period does not describe the period of pregnancy, since conception itself begins on the 2nd week or on the third. For a quick reference, compare the dates:
- embryonic (beginning of conception);
- obstetric (last menstruation)
The second is always ahead of the first. When the results show some kind of increase in hCG (more than five mIU / ml), then you need to remember that before reaching a figure of 25 mIU / ml, they may be inaccurate and require re-analysis after two days.
HCG levels by week may not be the exact norm. There are minimum, maximum and average values. However, when the results do not fit within the specified time, then the criterion for the appointment of diagnostics (repeated studies of chorionic gonadotropin, analysis of estrogen and progesterone) is often a deviation of more than twenty percent. And this deviation can be considered the norm, so there is no need to make a premature conclusion - entrust this matter to a specialist.
HCG norms
In any case, the data obtained should be compared with the norm of the hormone for seven days, which were taken in the condition of the laboratory where the analysis was taken. Doctors explain this by the fact that different institutions can use different methods. Therefore, it is recommended to use the information from the therapist at the place of residence. But just in case, here is the table below.
| Norms in volume (hCG) | Explanations |
| at 3 weeks - from 25 to 156 mmu / ml. | a large difference in volume is a consequence of its rapid increase from the initial value. |
| fourth week - the same values \u200b\u200bthat are normal for week 3, but the volume of hCG continues to grow. | normal hCG at 4 weeks from conception is a maximum of 300 mmu / ml. |
| at 5 weeks - from 101 to 31503 mmu / ml. | rapid increase in hcg. |
| at 6 weeks from 1112 to 82301 mmu/ml | the volume of hCG continues to increase and may be from 3001 to 30001 mmu / ml. |
| at 7 weeks - from 25601 to 151001 mmu / ml | there is no sharp increase in volume after. |
| at 8 weeks - 23105-233005 mmu / ml. | characterized by a slight increase. |
| at 9 weeks - 27301-291005 mmu / ml. | this is the peak, the largest number of gonadotropin for the entire period of pregnancy. It is from him that a change occurs in the placenta, which later leads to a lower secretion. |
| at 10 weeks - 20901-29105 mmu / ml. | the trend in changing hCG does not change - it remains the same. |
| at 11 weeks - 20901-291003 mmu / ml. | only at 11 weeks the hormone indicator in most cases can reach its maximum, but it is possible that it will decrease. |
| at 12 weeks - 20908-291006 mmu / ml. | most may experience a decrease in the hormone, these terms (or a little more) are the border between the 1st and 2nd trimester. At such a time, the sign of "belated" toxicosis can very often disappear, the risk of miscarriage and undeveloped pregnancy decreases. |
| at 13 weeks - 6147–291009 mmu / ml. | 291001 mmu / ml is achieved quite rarely. |
| the fourteenth week - 6145-103007 mmu / ml. | the difference in normal values, as a rule, remains large. Very often, the doctor is not interested in the result itself, and rightly so - changes over time will be productive. Only determining the process of changing the volume of hCG can be a good measure that will track the threat of abortion. |
| fifteenth week - 6145-10306 mmu / ml | hCG volume does not change for several weeks. For a long time is in a constant volume. That is, the hormone fluctuates at the same level. |
| sixteenth week - 6145-10302 mmu / ml | the volume of the hCG hormone remains the same |
| at 17 weeks - 6135-10299 mmu / ml | volume may decrease, but only slightly. |
| the norm of hCG at 18 weeks is 4725–10303 mmu / ml. | decreases. |
| hCG level - from 4725–80100 mmu / ml | further, the level is stable. The volume of the hormone stabilizes and there are almost no fluctuations. However, in some it may gradually decrease, due to the end of fetal development. |
Test strips are used for a quick check, but they are not as effective as real laboratory tests.
You should be aware that it is very important to control hCG rates by weeks from conception during pregnancy, but it is not at all productive every time. Doctors themselves, according to the rules, should be sent for such an analysis to check for violations in the circulatory systems of a pregnant woman.
There is no need to worry about this if you have not been assigned research on chorionic gonadotropin - it means that there are simply no indications for the procedure and everything is fine.