With the onset of pregnancy, the expectant mother has to undergo a lot of research and pass a lot of tests. Most often, women are prescribed a general urine and blood test. However, the results of such diagnostics cannot confirm or refute a new interesting position. This article is about beta hCG. You will find out what kind of substance it is and why it is formed. It is also worth mentioning at what time you need to take beta-hCG analysis. In medicine, there are generally accepted norms of this substance in a woman’s blood during different periods of pregnancy.
Beta hCG
This substance is secreted by the fetal egg and placenta. It appears in the blood of the expectant mother the very next day after implantation. In this case, conventional pregnancy tests show another negative result. This is due to the fact that the amount of beta-hCG in the urine is much less than in the blood. That is why, if you want to quickly find out about the onset of pregnancy, it is worth taking a blood test.
With an increase in gestational age, there is an increase in the level of beta-hCG. This hormone reaches its maximum at the end of the first trimester.
When should I take a beta-hCG test for pregnancy?
The study can be carried out several times over the entire period of bearing a baby. Typically, such an analysis is prescribed at the very beginning of pregnancy. At this stage, he helps to confirm the new position of the woman and establish an approximate date. Most often, the study is carried out in dynamics.
After that, at the end of the first trimester, a blood test is taken to determine beta-hCG. 12 weeks is an ideal period for such a study. The result of the analysis allows you to determine the possible risks of intrauterine development. In this case, ultrasound data is necessarily taken into account.
The next time period for which the analysis is carried out is the period from the 16th to the 18th week. Most often, this diagnosis is carried out in those women who received a poor result of the first screening. If necessary, the determination of the level of the hormone can be carried out until the very end of pregnancy.
Are there any norms?
The norm of this substance in the blood of women, of course, is. It is worth noting that a lot depends on the term, the number of fruits and the drugs taken. So, the result may be affected by some medications, for example, “Horagon” or “Rotten”. In addition, the level of the hormone during the expectation of the baby grows in proportion to the number of fetuses in the uterus. With pathologies such as an ectopic pregnancy, cystic skidding or a halt in the development of the fetus, this substance decreases in the blood of a woman. Consider what is the norm for beta-hCG at different periods of gestation.
First trimester
Until about six weeks of pregnancy, the hormone level doubles every 48 hours. After this (up to the eighth week), a doubling of the substance occurs every three days. Further, the increase in units is in decline.
In the first two weeks of pregnancy, it makes no sense to conduct this study, since the egg only matures and prepares for fertilization. In the period from the third to the fourth week, from 16 to 156 units of the substance can be found in the blood of the expectant mother. Further, until the fifth week, no more than 4870 IU / ml is released.
The fifth and sixth weeks are characterized by the amount of the hormone from 1110 to 31500 units. At a period of six and seven weeks, 2560-82 300 IU / ml can be detected. The seventh and eighth are characterized by the amount of the hormone from 2310 to 151,000 units per milliliter of shelter. In the period from the eighth to the ninth week, 27 300-233 000 IU / ml are detected.
The ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth are determined by the level of the hormone from 20,900 to 29,100 units. Beta-hCG (norm 12 weeks) does not exceed the amount of 30,000 IU / ml. Otherwise, we can talk about serious violations in the development of the baby.
Second trimester
At this stage, the level of the substance in the blood begins to gradually decrease. However, in some cases, it may remain the same or be higher than normal. Most often this is observed with multiple pregnancy or while taking drugs containing chorionic gonadotropin.
In the period from the thirteenth to the eighteenth week, the range of this hormone in the range from 6140 to 103,000 units can be observed in the blood of the expectant mother. After that (until about the 24th week of embryo development), the level of chorionic gonadotropin is 4720-80 100 IU / ml.
Third trimester
At this stage, hormone levels are very rarely measured. However, there are generally accepted norms that are guided by the need for research. So, in the period from the 23rd to the 40th week, 2700-78 100 units of the substance are found in the blood of the expectant mother.
Remember that with multiple pregnancy, the amount of chorionic gonadotropin may be slightly higher.
Possible pathologies
Is there a specific beta-hCG norm for possible pathologies? Unfortunately, medicine has not yet established certain data. All due to the fact that pathology can begin at different times and under different conditions. Also, the body of each expectant mother is individual and cannot equally respond to possible difficulties.
- In biochemical pregnancy, the level of the hormone reaches its norm until a certain week (usually 5-6th). After this, a sharp decline in the substance occurs, and the analysis shows negative values.
- An ectopic pregnancy is characterized by the fact that the beta-hCG norm is not achieved. The hormone level rises, but very slowly and significantly lags behind the established values.
- The hCG level values are much higher than normal with cystic drift. However, during the ultrasound, an embryo with a heartbeat is not detected.
- If the expectant mother suffers from diabetes, the amount of beta-hCG can also exceed normal values.
Can a normal pregnancy not meet established HCG standards?
It also happens that the fetus develops absolutely normally, but the amount of chorionic gonadotropin in the woman’s blood is much higher or lower than normal. Why is this happening?
Most often, this situation occurs in the very initial stages. At the same time, a woman cannot exactly tell the date of conception. If the gestational age is not set correctly, then the values of the hormone level may differ from the established norms. Most often, the situation helps to clarify the ultrasound diagnosis. During the ultrasound, the doctor can accurately determine the gestational age (up to one day).
Summing up and conclusion of the article
So, you now know what norms of chorionic gonadotropin are allowed during pregnancy. Remember that you should not rely heavily on the established numbers. The body of each woman is individual and can respond differently to a new position. Do not take into account the numbers that your friends had on certain dates. Some doctors say that the level of normal beta-hCG may vary depending on the gender of the unborn child.
If you get a bad result, then you should repeat the analysis. Often there is a laboratory error or a wrong comparison with the norms. When decrypting data, always pay attention to the established values of the research center. They can be very different from other laboratories. Also, the result can be displayed in different units. All this greatly affects the obtained values. To clarify the situation, contact the gynecologist and observe all the appointment data. Easy your pregnancy!