Today, a blood test for hCG is increasingly being performed, as it helps to establish the fact of pregnancy, to control its development, and also to diagnose some tumors. After embryo implantation, this hormone is produced by the chorion, but neoplasms can also produce it.
The pregnancy test, which is actively used today, just reveals hCG in the urine. But a blood test is more accurate and confirms it a few days earlier. In addition, the level of the hormone should have certain values at different weeks of pregnancy. If it does not correspond to the norm, then various pathologies can be suspected.
Also, with the bearing of several fruits, the concentration of hCG increases. If the embryo does not develop in the uterus, less hormone is usually produced. This happens with tubal pregnancy.
So, when to donate blood for hCG :
- identification and monitoring of testicular and ovarian cancer treatment;
- diagnosis of fetal pathologies and pregnancy;
- the exclusion of the embryo outside the uterus;
- check for abortion;
- confirmation of the fact of pregnancy.
The analysis must be taken in the morning, on an empty stomach. The doctor should be warned about the medications taken. To establish the fact of pregnancy, it is advisable to take a hCG test no earlier than four days after the delay. In different women, the hormone begins to be synthesized at different times after implantation, in some it can be detected within a day.
A hCG blood test is included in prenatal screening. This study helps identify women at risk of having a baby with chromosomal abnormalities. However, it should be understood that the high probability obtained by screening is not a sentence, but only an indication for an in-depth examination.
So, hCG is increased in the following cases:
- administration of progestogens;
- malformations and pathologies of the fetus;
- incorrectly defined period;
- diabetes in a woman;
- multiple pregnancy;
- toxicosis;
- after an abortion;
- chorioncancinoma;
- hCG intake;
- neoplasms of the kidneys, uterus, lungs;
- cystic drift;
- swelling of the intestines or testicles.
A low concentration of the hormone occurs with:
- pregnancy overtaking ;
- delay in the development of the baby;
- fetal death;
- threatened miscarriage;
- placental insufficiency;
- non-developing or ectopic pregnancy.
So, a blood test for hCG norms in honey / ml:
- 1-2 weeks - 28-303;
- 2-3 weeks - 1503-5003;
- 3-4 weeks - 10003-30003;
- 4-5 week - 20003-100003;
- 5-6 week - 50003-200003;
- 6-7 weeks - 50003-200003;
- 7-8 weeks - 20003-200003;
- 8-9 week - 20003-100003;
- Week 9-10 - 20003-95003;
- 11-12 week - 20003-90003;
- Week 13-14 - 15003-60003;
- 15-25 week - 10003-35003;
- Week 26-37 - 10003-60003;
- women who do not bear a child, and men - up to 8.
The hormone affects the development of the fetus and is needed to maintain pregnancy. Its level doubles every two days with its normal course in the first weeks. During this period, determining the amount of hCG allows you to judge the health of the fetus and the course of pregnancy. It is he who provides in the first trimester the production of necessary hormones. In particular, hCG prolongs the functioning of the corpus luteum, which synthesizes progesterone.
Weeks are counted from the day of the last menstruation. Concentration reaches a maximum at about 15 weeks, and then decreases. After birth, the hormone is not detected in the blood.
During prenatal screening, hCG and PAPP are given in the first trimester, and ACE, hCG and estriol in 2 trimesters. When determining the risk of having a baby with chromosomal pathologies, other data are also taken into account. Among them are the woman's age, smoking, ultrasound data, medications taken and much more.
So, a blood test for hCG is performed to diagnose pregnancy, identify its pathologies, fetal malformations, as well as some types of cancer. Any deviation from the norm can be a symptom of a serious pathology and requires the consultation of a qualified specialist. Only he can competently decipher the result of the analysis, prescribe an additional examination and effective treatment.