During pregnancy, the placenta secretes a hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG. According to John Zhang, M.D., the founder and medical director of New Hope Fertility in New York City, "hCG helps the body create hormones that support conception."
HCG can be measured in two different methods. The first is in the urine, which is a qualitative hCG test, meaning it identifies whether or not there is any hCG present at all, according to Margaret Sullivan, M.D., an obstetrician and gynaecologist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. A urine pregnancy test performs this. The exact amount of hCG present is then determined by a quantitative test. "Only a blood test can determine the amount," she asserts.
| What HCG Level is Normal? |
Pregnant women frequently have no idea what their hCG levels are or never have their doctor even bring the subject up. However, your doctor may perform a blood test to more closely monitor hCG levels to see if everything is proceeding normally with the pregnancy if you have a history of miscarriage or were conceived through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or another fertility treatment.
However, what do "normal" hCG levels entail? Dr. Sullivan asserts that there isn't such a thing.
She continues, "What we're looking for is the rate of rise of hCG. "We anticipate the level of hCG to double roughly every 48 hours in an ordinary pregnancy. Therefore, we will perform a quantitative hCG test on a patient if they are pregnant and unsure of when their last period occurred. If it returns at 1,000, we would have them come back in 48 hours, and we would prefer it to be close to 2,000.
In other words, she claims that because we are all unique, our hCG levels will vary during pregnancy. Therefore, the quantity of hCG actually present is less important than the pace at which it is increasing.
| Why is hCG Levels Low? |
There are typically two causes of low hCG or hCG that is rising unnaturally, or not at the rate it should be. These consist of:
Premature miscarriage
If hCG doesn't rise quickly enough, it can be a sign of a miscarriage or an unviable pregnancy. Lucky Sekhon, M.D., an OB/GYN at RMA of New York in Manhattan and a double board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist, explains that if the embryo is not viable and is not going to result in a successful pregnancy, "hCG may be low at the outset or rise slowly and end up at a lower than expected level."
According to her, this can happen if the embryo has an inherent flaw, such as the incorrect number of chromosomes, or if there are other, occasionally unknown, reasons why the embryo or pregnancy is not viable.
The Wrong Place for a Pregnancy
Sometimes, when hCG levels aren’t rising as they should be, it could mean the pregnancy is growing in the wrong place. “When we have an inappropriate rise, or not an exact doubling, it could mean the pregnancy is in the wrong location,” says Dr. Sullivan, referring to a pregnancy that grows outside the uterus. “We call this an ectopic pregnancy.”
| When HCG Concentrations Are Too High |
A hCG level that is too high or growing too quickly may indicate a molar pregnancy, in which the foetus does not develop and the placenta continues to grow as a tumor.
When Elevated hCG Levels Indicate a Problem
In the early stages of pregnancy, you want your hCG levels to double every 48 hours. If that isn't taking place, there might be an issue. "It's worrisome if they are starting at a very low level or rising very slowly," adds Dr. Sekhon. Additionally, if they are falling, that is a sign that the pregnancy is deteriorating.
Some specialists advise against drawing hCG levels very early in a pregnancy since it could have unintended consequences. It can be upsetting and upsetting to get a positive pregnancy test only to lose the pregnancy very soon after. Pregnancy can often end just days after the person should have gotten their period.
You should speak with if you have any questions regarding your hCG levels or just want more details.
