HCG level during early pregnancy: low, high. What does a decrease in level indicate?

What else does low hCG mean? Not excluded. This means the following: fertilization took place, but for some reason the body recognized the fetus as unviable and rejected it even before the missed period. A woman, most often, does not even suspect that she is mature new life. True, in some women in this case, menstruation changes its character somewhat (due to the start and failure of implantation):

• discharge becomes abundant;
• there is pain in the lower abdomen;
• The discharge lasts a little longer than usual.

There is no need to regret the termination of such a pregnancy: the body was able to recognize the defects of the unborn fetus that were incompatible with life and eliminated everything without consequences for the life and health of the mother.

Decrease in hCG in early pregnancy

An unfavorable sign is a decrease in hCG levels before the 11th week. HCG drops in early pregnancy for reasons:

• beginning miscarriage;
• disturbances in the blood supply to the fetus.

If hCG is more than half the normal level, this is a reason to observe the woman for a week. If there are signs of a spontaneous abortion that has begun, the woman is admitted to the hospital for preservation.

Elevated hCG during early pregnancy

It would seem that increased hCG during early pregnancy is good. The fetus has successfully established itself, the hormone is actively released, increases rapidly - everything is fine. Indeed, most often the body can increase the level of the hormone during pregnancy with twins or triplets. In this case, when a multiple pregnancy is confirmed by ultrasound, the woman can rejoice - the increase is physiological.

But large hCG also occurs under other circumstances:

• development of tumors (including malignant);
• Down syndrome in a developing fetus;
• other developmental anomalies - in particular, neural tube defects;
• hydatidiform mole.

Which hCG level is considered really high - in each specific situation it is necessary to ask a doctor. It is unacceptable to diagnose yourself.

It is imperative to monitor hCG over time, since this hormone is a marker of a normal, progressive pregnancy. If you want to make sure that everything is in order, get tested periodically until the 11th week, and then you will have much less reason to worry. And if the mother is calm, everything will be fine with the child too.

Current video

High hCG on early pregnancy can make a woman happy, sad, and very surprising - after all, the reasons for the increase in this indicator may be different, but they are all extremely important for health.

What does hCG show?

HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone that allows doctors to detect a number of changes occurring in the patient's body. Some of these changes are natural and should not cause distress or concern, while others indicate pathologies. To determine the level of hCG, you need to donate blood from a vein for analysis; this can be done in any modern medical laboratory. Like any other hormone test, it is advisable to take this test in the morning on an empty stomach, in a calm, non-nervous state, after having slept well. The result usually becomes known the next day, and in large cities you can find out even on the day of delivery, in the evening. The cost of such medical services ranges from 450 to 1100 rubles. Most often, women are interested in hCG levels, although for men in some cases this analysis is necessary (for example, if cancer is suspected). Patients are concerned about this indicator, first of all, as confirmation of pregnancy.

An increase in hCG indicates that the woman is pregnant.

Norms of human chorionic gonadotropin for women

To diagnose pregnancy, a gynecologist needs to see in the test results not just any high numbers, but very specific data that fits into the standards established by modern laboratories. These may vary depending on the reagents used, but most often laboratory standards are as follows:

• 1-2 weeks – 20-155;
• 2-3 weeks – 100-4880;
• 3-4 weeks – 1120-31400;
• 4-5 weeks – 2460-82400;
• 5-6 weeks – 23000-152000;
• 6-7 weeks – 27200-233100.

Weeks are counted from conception, not from the end of menstruation. Women need to remember that in early pregnancy the level of hCG is difficult to determine, and before the menstrual cycle is delayed, a blood test cannot be considered reliable, because the hormone may increase a little later than the day the test is taken.

HCG can also be detected in urine. Any woman can purchase the appropriate test at a pharmacy and independently determine the level of this hormone in her body. However, such tests are not always reliable and produce both false positive and false negative results. In addition, when determining the level of this indicator in urine, it is impossible to know its exact amount, therefore, it is impossible to understand whether there is an abnormally high level of hCG.

Abnormally high hCG

If the level of this hormone turns out to be so high that it does not coincide with the duration of pregnancy, and an ultrasound confirms this, then the reasons must be looked for elsewhere. HCG can become too high when tumors develop, particularly tumors gastrointestinal tract, lungs and genitourinary system, with impaired fetal development (for example, with Down's symptom), as well as with multiple pregnancies. In some rare cases, very high levels of this hormone may indicate the presence of some kind of endocrine disease. In any case, if the norm is exceeded, it is advisable to retake the test so that neither the patient nor the doctors have any doubts about its reliability.

An abnormally high rate, if confirmed by repeated analysis, requires serious attention. If the cause of unhealthy hormone growth is the appearance of tumors, then the woman urgently needs consultation with oncologists. If the cause is chromosomal abnormalities of the fetus, then this diagnosis must be confirmed as quickly as possible so that the patient can quickly make a decision - to keep the fetus or have an abortion. Time plays a key role in any of the options, so you can’t delay visiting a doctor. If hCG is elevated due to multiple pregnancy, the gynecologist should perform an ultrasound and make sure that the pregnancy is uterine, that is, the embryo is attached to the walls of the uterus and is not in the fallopian tubes. Multiple pregnancy requires special care from both the expectant mother and doctors.

HCG growth rate

Many patients are interested in how quickly an increase in hCG levels can be observed during pregnancy. Typically, the rate doubles every 2-3 days in the first weeks after conception and attachment of the embryo to the walls of the uterus. There should not be an abrupt increase in the hormone, and if this is the dynamics, then it is urgent to see a doctor.

As pregnancy progresses, hCG should increase smoothly but steadily. If this happens otherwise, the pregnancy develops with disturbances, and with timely medical intervention, it can usually be saved. To find out how this indicator changes in the body, you need to take the test 3-5 times with breaks of about 2-3 days. Then the picture will be complete enough to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

The first weeks of pregnancy are especially exciting for women who planned to conceive and carefully prepared for it. Doubts that long-awaited event happened, overcome even after a delay in menstruation and positive result express test. What other signs can be used to confirm the fact of conception? A blood test for human chorionic gonadotropin will help with this. It is he who acts as the main marker of the birth of a new life.

What is hCG, what is the role of this hormone in the female body?

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is produced by chorion tissue immediately after implantation of the embryo into the uterine cavity (approximately 12 days after conception). When there is no pregnancy, the level of this hormone is close to zero. After conception occurs, it increases to tens of thousands of units, reaching a limit by the 10th week, and then decreases slightly.

The role of hCG in the early stages of pregnancy is very high. It supports the work of the corpus luteum - a temporary endocrine gland that produces progesterone, increases the number of chorionic villi, and provides them with nutrition. With its increase, gradual adaptation to pregnancy occurs, hormonal levels and important body functions undergo restructuring.

Adaptation to pregnancy under the influence of hCG consists of an increase in the production of hormones from the adrenal cortex. They suppress the immune reaction towards the fetus on the part of the mother’s body, because for it the fetus is to some extent foreign. The production of hCG depends on how successfully the implantation process is going. If the fertilized egg is healthy, it produces the required amount of gonadotropin and gestation proceeds normally.

Diagnostic tests to determine hCG levels

2-3 days after implantation, an increase in hCG is observed in the blood; after 3-5 days, the hormone begins to be released along with the urine. If there are indirect signs of pregnancy (delayed cycle, breast swelling, changes in taste habits), it is recommended to perform a rapid test. The probability of his error is 5%.

A blood test for hCG will provide more accurate information. Biomaterial can be donated upon a doctor’s referral or independently at a paid clinic. To do this, blood is taken from a vein on an empty stomach in the morning. The answer will be ready on the same day or the next day. Based on the results of the analysis, the fact of conception is judged.

How does the concentration of hCG change during pregnancy?

The interpretation of the test results should be entrusted to the doctor. However, it is important to know that if the reading is less than 5 mU/ml, intrauterine pregnancy is excluded, and the reason for the delay in the cycle is different.

When hCG increases to values ​​above 5 mU/ml, you can prepare for motherhood. In any case, it is important to undergo an examination by a doctor who will confirm the fact of conception, register and monitor human chorionic gonadotropin levels in the first weeks.

Which hCG result Is it considered normal? The permissible hormone levels by week are shown in the table:

The table indicators are not an absolute dogma; after IVF they are always slightly higher. Each expectant mother has her own optimal limits, so to assess the dynamics of the increase in the hormone, the doctor evaluates the previous and new tests. When reporting from the last day of menstruation to the 4th week of obstetric pregnancy, the level of gonadotropin doubles every two days.

The rate of doubling of a parameter can be calculated using the formula “2.2+-0.8 days”. Hormone levels can increase faster, doubling every 1.5 days, or more slowly, doubling every 3 days. Having reached its limit by 9-11 weeks, it stops growing and then slows down. Subsequently, it decreases slightly to levels of 6-7 weeks and remains this way until childbirth. After the baby is born, the hCG level gradually drops, and by the 4th week of the child’s life it does not normally exceed 5 mU/ml.

Reasons for the slow growth of hCG, its slowdown or decrease in the early stages

Deviations from standard indicators can be considered signs of pathology. It is important for the doctor to understand why this happened and urgently eliminate the anomaly. If hCG slowly grows in the blood of a pregnant woman in the early stages, a delay is likely physical development embryo. This happens because the formation of the placenta slows down and blood flow between expectant mother and a child. The embryo does not receive enough oxygen and nutrients, which leads to intrauterine hypoxia.

A low hCG level, a sudden drop in its level in the first weeks of gestation, is a serious symptom that may indicate:

• placental insufficiency;
• ectopic implantation;
• fading pregnancy;
• slowing down the physical development of the embryo;
• the threat of failure;
• chromosomal abnormalities;
• rejection of the fertilized egg before the cycle is delayed;
• detachment and non-implantation of an embryo transferred using IVF.

A low increase in gonadotropin may indicate placental insufficiency, fetal hypoxia, and intrauterine death. The rate is growing slowly later If the pregnancy is post-term, this situation is monitored by doctors.

Only a doctor can draw conclusions about what is considered normal and pathological. Often the analysis has to be retaken to exclude a laboratory error. If there are no suspicious signs, it is recommended to repeat the analysis in a week, and then perform an ultrasound.

Ectopic pregnancy after natural fertilization or IVF poses a particular danger to women's health. At first, the woman notices the same signs as during normal conception. However, after a while they are accompanied by pathological symptoms - pain in the lower abdomen, bloody spotting. A blood test in this case does not show an increase in hCG, although a delay in menstruation is observed. It is important to diagnose this condition in time and remove the embryo using laparoscopy. Otherwise, rupture of the fallopian tube (the place where the fertilized egg usually begins to grow), peritonitis, and sepsis are possible.

Treatment tactics

In 15% of cases, a slow increase in gonadotropin levels in the early stages is a natural phenomenon observed in the absence of pathology. In any case, having discovered deviations in the increase in the pregnancy hormone, the doctor takes the patient under special control and prescribes additional examinations.

Bearing with an insufficient increase in hCG is complicated, since pregnancy is most often associated with certain pathologies and proceeds poorly. However, it is not uncommon to save and remove healthy child Maybe. Much depends on the reason for the decrease in hCG levels:

• if the drop in hCG is associated with ectopic pregnancy, emergency surgery is indicated to save the patient’s life (more details in the article:);
• in case of a frozen pregnancy, a diagnostic curettage is performed, the cause of the pathology is subsequently determined, hormonal correction is carried out and careful preparation for a new pregnancy is carried out;
• when there is a threat of spontaneous abortion, retention in a hospital is indicated, where important therapeutic measures are carried out.

Treatment in a hospital involves monitoring hCG levels over time, as well as taking other tests that provide the doctor with additional information about the patient’s health status. Special medications containing gonadotropin taken from the urine of pregnant women (Pregnil, Horagon, Ecostimulin) often help to increase the concentration of the pregnancy hormone. Usually injections of drugs are given in dosages of 1500, 2000, 5000 IU. The dose is selected individually, while the patient’s condition is monitored. If treatment measures are taken in a timely manner, the chances of carrying a baby increase.