When will the hcg result be ready. HCG indicator during early pregnancy: low, high. What does the drop in level mean? Is this analysis required?

All women during pregnancy are prescribed an analysis for hCG. This study shows the abnormal development of the fetus or the pathological conditions of the expectant mother. Deciphering the analysis matters when the concentration of hCG rises or falls significantly.

An insignificant shift from the norm of the hormone does not play a decisive role in the diagnosis. To more accurately determine the diseases of the mother or child in these situations, other methods are used. To get reliable results of the study, you need to know how to donate blood for hCG, this will be discussed in this article.

What is HCG

HCG is translated from medical language as human chorionic gonadotropin. In the normal state, it is produced only during the onset of pregnancy. It is first produced by a fertilized egg. In the future, the hCG hormone is produced by trophoblasts - cells from which the placenta is formed.

Gonadotropic substances consist of alpha and beta components. The alpha hormone is similar in structure to the pituitary hormones. Beta-hCG is normally only detectable during pregnancy. When a pregnant woman is given a plasma test for hCG, the beta hormone is implied.

Human gonadotropin is of great importance in the body of a pregnant woman. Its value in the early period of pregnancy increases and this allows the child to develop correctly, all the mechanisms necessary for bearing are launched.

Changes in the concentration of the hCG hormone throughout the entire period of pregnancy:

9-10 days after fertilization, hCG is diagnosed in plasma, which means that the egg has attached to the endometrium, the hormone levels begin to gradually increase;
Every second day the concentration increases by 2 times;
Growth occurs until the 10th week after ovulation, at which time the highest level is noted;
Further, the hormone gradually decreases, after 10 weeks the concentration decreases by half and remains the same for the rest of the period until delivery.

A specific week corresponds to a certain level of the hormone. There are special tables that show the rate of hCG in each week of pregnancy.

What determines the analysis of the hCG hormone

It is the action of the hCG hormone that regulates all hormonal processes in a pregnant girl:

Stimulates the production of progesterone;
Provides a constant level of estrogen;
The aggression of the mother's immunity on the cells of the embryo is prevented;
There are physiological changes in the body of a woman;
The corpus luteum is stimulated and its disappearance is prevented.

The analysis is done according to certain indications. In each case, they are determined taking into account individual characteristics.

HCG is prescribed in the following situations:

Delay or absence of menstruation of any origin;
Determination of the term of the onset of pregnancy, starting from the 5th day after possible fertilization;
Suspicion of a poor-quality abortion;
Pregnancy quality control based on the results of routine tests;
Determination of anomalies in the development of the embryo;
For the diagnosis of malignant tumors in the fetus;
For the diagnosis of pathological conditions in a woman when carrying a child.

An analysis of hCG is done in order to determine a frozen, ectopic pregnancy, with multiple pregnancy, with a threat of interruption, or with a spontaneous miscarriage.

How to donate hCG

Many women are wondering how to properly donate blood for hCG and to get an accurate analysis result. In this part of the article you will find a detailed answer to this question.

The determination of gonadotropic beta hormone is one of the first places in terms of complexity among all blood tests. During its implementation, all mandatory conditions of preparation must be met. In order for the result to be reliable, every little thing is important, both when donating blood and when testing in the laboratory.

Blood for hCG is taken from the cubital vein, on an empty stomach in the amount of 5 ml. If the manipulation is carried out early in the morning, then you can’t have breakfast, if at lunchtime you can’t eat, at least 5 hours before, while excluding fatty foods.

Only by analysis, the diagnosis is not made, the clinical picture is taken into account, as well as data from other examinations.

Conducting an analysis

If the hCG rate according to the table at some stage of pregnancy differs from the results obtained, the study should be repeated after a while.

After blood sampling, plasma must be obtained. This is done in a centrifuge that separates the blood cells from the plasma. The following stages of the test are done by specialists using special reagents.

The concentration of the hCG hormone during pregnancy allows you to track the levels of hCG from the moment of implantation of the egg until the very birth.

It must be remembered that hCG can be determined in the urine and in amniotic fluid. To determine pregnancy, you need to take an hCG test on a certain day after the onset of ovulation, the result will be reliable already on day 10.

When the baby develops correctly, the woman compares the results with the table and watches how the level grows by the day and week. In this case, she can make sure that everything is going well.

The determination of hCG in the urine after ovulation allows IVF monitoring, an increase in the hormone indicates success in the manipulation.

When the result of the analysis is ready, it depends on different clinics. Basically, the result does not have to wait long, the woman is given the result in a day.

By following all the recommendations for preparing and conducting the analysis, as well as taking into account all the possible nuances, you will no longer wonder how to properly take hCG for pregnancy in order to get the most reliable and expected result of a biochemical blood test.

Deciphering the results

The table of hCG values by week allows you to see the concentration of beta-gonadotropin and monitor the norm. When a fertilized egg begins to grow, the laboratories are guided according to the table depending on the gestational age, deviations are determined so that the woman can contact the gynecologist on time.

Table of normal hCG values during pregnancy by week:

Term in weeks	Average units mIU/ml	Limits of the norm mIU / ml
2	150	50-300
3-4	2 000	1 500-5 000
4-5	20 000	10 000-30 000
5-6	50 000	20 000-100 000
6-7	100 000	50 000-200 000
7-8	80 000	40 000-200 000
8-9	70 000	35 000-150 000
9-10	65 000	32 000-130 000
10-11	60 000	30 000-120 000
11-12	55 000	27 000-110 000
13-14	50 000	25 000-100 000
15-16	40 000	20 000-70 000
17-20	30 000	15 000-55 000

For example, at the 3rd week of pregnancy, the concentration of the hormone is considered normal and 600, and 700, and 900 mIU / ml, and at the 5th week the level can be equal to 7000, 8000, 9000, 10000 and more - the intensity of the level increases, then, starting from the 8th week , there is a decrease in hCG levels.

There is a table of hCG values for in vitro fertilization. It allows you to track the correct dynamics immediately after the IVF procedure.

It should be noted that only a specialist will provide the correct one, so you should not draw independent conclusions.

Reasons for deviations

In late pregnancy, the level of beta-hormone can again reach high values. Previously, experts considered this situation normal. Then it was proved that an increase in indicators in the third trimester may indicate pathologies of fetal development. For example, an increase in beta-hCG at week 38 may indicate placental insufficiency in Rh conflict.

Reasons for increasing hCG levels:

Multiple pregnancy with the presence of two or more embryos, while the rate increases in direct proportion to the number of children;
Late toxicosis of pregnancy in the later stages, in which the work of the urinary system, heart and blood vessels, as well as the brain of a pregnant woman is disrupted;
The presence of disorders in the work of the pancreas of a woman (diabetes mellitus);
Fetal hypoxia, Down's disease, genetic defects, other developmental disorders of the baby;
Incorrectly set dates according to the ultrasound study and the last menstruation;
Reception by a woman of progestogen hormones.

In non-pregnant girls and women, the level of the hCG hormone is in the range from 0 to 5 mIU / ml.

Reasons for an increase in the indicator in the absence of pregnancy:

Tumors of the ovaries, uterus, esophagus, other systems;
Tumor in the tissues of the embryo, hydatidiform drift, when the tumor spreads outside the uterus;
Taking medications containing beta hormone;
Condition after an unsuccessful abortion, when there is a suspicion that it was done incorrectly.

The indicator decreases in the following cases:

Pregnancy frozen, ectopic;
Delayed fetal development;
The threat of miscarriage or premature birth;
Placental insufficiency or premature aging;
The situation when a woman walks over pregnancy;
Late fetal death.

Definitely a must remember! Only a specialized doctor can evaluate the results of tests with an increase or decrease in the beta hormone hCG. If the result of the analysis does not match the norm, the study is repeated after three to four days.

The level of hCG in the blood is 2 times higher than in the urine, which is why a biochemical blood test during pregnancy is more effective. Even less reliable are home test strips. They are used at home 2 weeks after conception. Therefore, it makes no sense to test for hCG earlier than after 14 days.

Analysis period

There are 2 types of analysis to determine the level of hCG: general and free.

A blood test for total hCG is used to determine pregnancy in the early stages, when a home test is not yet able to reveal the result. In the absence of diseases, the concentration of the hormone in the first weeks after conception doubles every 2 days, its maximum level is observed at 10-11 weeks. After that, the amount of the hormone begins to gradually decrease.

From the 13th week of pregnancy, total hCG is combined with laboratory and ultrasound studies to detect abnormalities in the development of the fetus.

Free beta-hCG is part of prenatal screening (complex of laboratory and ultrasound studies) of pregnant women in the 1st and 2nd trimesters. The study allows you to confirm or refute Down syndrome or Edwards syndrome in the embryo. With a positive result, the risk of developing chromosomal pathologies exists.

Special indications for conducting a study on ß-hCG:

Pregnant over 35 years old;
If Down syndrome was diagnosed in close relatives;
Excessive exposure to ionizing radiation.

It is important to properly prepare for the study - only in this case, the analysis for hCG will be the most accurate.

The study of hCG is carried out on an empty stomach, best in the morning (before breakfast). If you can collect the material for analysis (blood, urine) only during the daytime, then you should not eat for 4-6 hours before the procedure. During this period, it is worth abandoning tonic drinks (coffee, tea) and juices. Only filtered water is allowed.

24 hours before the study, it is worth eliminating or minimizing intense physical activity. Give up dynamic workouts in the gym, jogging, aerobics, etc. This is necessary, because during intense sports, substances begin to be produced that affect the reliability of the result.

The day before the analysis for hCG, refuse to take medications, especially hormonal ones.. If the medication has been prescribed to you by a doctor and its reception cannot be interrupted, then warn the laboratory assistant about this. It is important to include the name of the drug and the dosage you are following.

For research collect blood from a vein. If you carry out the analysis in the laboratory, you will receive the results in a few hours or the next day. If the material is examined in another laboratory, then its results will be ready in 3-12 days.

Deciphering the results of the study

If obtained from a blood test during pregnancy is higher or lower than the norm by 20% or more, then we are talking about the development of the pathology of the embryo. However, during the decoding of the analyzes, individual characteristics of the organism should be taken into account. For this reason, the study should be carried out by a qualified specialist. If necessary, the doctor will prescribe a second analysis, which is carried out with an interval of 2 to 3 days. If, after additional diagnostics, a dubious result is confirmed, then the doctor prescribes competent treatment. Otherwise, a reanalysis may be necessary.

If the study is carried out to identify the risk of unfavorable development of the embryo, then the results are issued in the form of screening studies.

Screening studies show the individual risk of developing an anomaly in a child, the result is presented in the form of a frequency ratio. For example, the risk of developing trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome) is 1:1600 (this is an approximate indicator).

If the results of the analysis are normal, then this indicates that the fetus is developing normally, and there are no pathologies. If doctors have identified some deviations, then do not panic. In this case, you should consult a doctor who will correctly decipher the analysis. The anomaly is confirmed only if other diagnostic findings are present.

Causes of elevated hCG

Any deviation from the norm is a reason to be wary, since such results indicate some problems and complications in the mother's body. Then you should make sure that the deadline is set correctly, otherwise any comparison with the norm is meaningless.

If the concentration of chorionic gonadotropin is too high, then this indicator may indicate a multiple pregnancy. In most cases, the level of hCG rises according to the number of fetuses.

The concentration of chorionic gonadotropin indicates the following diseases:

Toxicosis;
Late toxicosis;
Pathologies of embryonic development, for example, Down syndrome;
Pregnancy that lasts more than 42 weeks.

The amount of the hormone may indicate the presence of diabetes in a pregnant woman. Also, increased values indicate that the woman is taking synthetic progestogen-containing drugs.

If it turned out that the woman is not pregnant, and the concentration of hCG is high, then we are talking about a false positive result of the analysis.

Causes of elevated hormone levels:

The course of treatment with hormonal drugs;
Residual after a previous pregnancy or medical abortion;
Malignant formation in the structure of the trophoblast (the outer layer of cells in embryos);
Anomaly in the development of the fetal egg, in which the normal growth of the embryo does not occur;
Neoplasms on the ovaries, uterus, kidneys or lungs.

In such cases, you should consult a doctor.

Factors of low hormone levels

A low concentration of human chorionic gonadotropin also requires attention. In this case, it is important to immediately consult a doctor.

If the amount of the hormone is less than 50%, then this may indicate the following pathologies:

hereditary anomalies;
Attachment of a fertilized egg outside the uterine cavity;
The threat of spontaneous abortion or intrauterine fetal death;
Death of the fetus during pregnancy due to various diseases and injuries of the mother or congenital pathologies of the fetus, etc.

With a regressing (frozen) pregnancy, the embryo dies for various reasons. In this case, hCG ceases to be produced and, according to the results of the analysis, its level drops sharply. Then the doctor prescribes an analysis of hCG during pregnancy in dynamics, that is, the study is carried out several times to observe how the concentration of chorionic gonadotropin in the blood plasma changes.

But do not panic ahead of time, in such cases, as mentioned earlier, the gestational age should be clarified.

To confirm or refute a missed pregnancy, ultrasonography. Only on the basis of its results establish the final diagnosis. There are cases when, during a regressing pregnancy, the concentration of hCG increases, and other signs disappear.

Doctors talk about cases when in pregnant women the result of an analysis for hCG shows 0. In most cases, this is a mistake, and therefore it is worth conducting a control study.

HCG analysis is great way not only to detect pregnancy, but also to monitor the condition of the woman and the fetus throughout the entire period.

A blood test to detect the level of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood is the most reliable way to confirm the absence or presence of an interesting situation, i.e. pregnancy. However, the procedure has one significant drawback. You can find out the result only after some time. How much is an analysis for hCG done, blood is taken from a finger or from a vein, and is it possible to speed up the process? These questions concern many women around the world.

Indications for research

An analysis for hCG is carried out not only in case of suspicion of pregnancy. Research is carried out in a number of other situations.

It should be understood that human chorionic gonadotropin, or hCG, is produced by embryonic tissues. The production of the hormone is activated at the moment of attachment of the fetus to the uterine cavity. The detection of hCG in the blood of a non-pregnant woman or man may signal the presence of tumors in the body or the occurrence of any pathological processes.

An analysis to determine the level of human chorionic gonadotropin in human blood is carried out:

due to the absence of menstruation for a long period;
in case of suspicion of the presence of fetal remains after the curettage procedure;
to detect violations of intrauterine development;
in case of suspicion of a malignant tumor in the testicles (in men).

In addition, the study is carried out during pregnancy to establish pathologies in the development of the fetus and in the case of a missed pregnancy. In addition, the analysis is taken from women at certain periods of pregnancy. The study is an integral part of screening, which allows you to verify the normal development of the fetus and exclude the presence of pathologies.

Mechanism of action

The process of determining the level of human chorionic gonadotropin in the blood is quite complex and laborious. That is why it is very important to approach the preparation procedure. At least four hours before the proposed study, you should refrain from eating. It is strictly forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages or smoke cigarettes at the preparatory stage. A favorable emotional state is very important. No need to be nervous and worried. Otherwise, obtaining reliable results is called into question.

Blood is taken only from a vein. After that, the resulting biological material is divided into components. Plasma is used for analysis. To determine the intensity of hormone production and find out the level of hCG in the blood at the stage of the study, special reagents are used.

How long does an hCG test take?

Research is essential. That is why many people begin to get nervous and worry in anticipation of the result. There is no exact answer to the question of how long the analysis for hCG is done. Since everything depends directly on the workload of the laboratory. As a rule, in state medical institutions, the result of the study can be obtained only 2-3 days after the analysis. That is why many women (and men) turn to private laboratories, which are much less busy.

In non-state institutions, you can get the result after a day. Some medical organizations provide information on email patient a few hours after taking the biological material.

Deciphering the results

For an ordinary person, the rate of hCG in the blood should not exceed 5 mU / ml. For a woman who is expecting a baby, the indicators are much higher and depend directly on the gestational age. From the first to the third week of bearing a child, the blood contains 25 to 4870 mU / ml of the hormone. From the fourth to the sixth week, the indicator increases to 31500 to 151100 mU / ml. From the seventh to the eleventh week, the blood should contain at least 20900 mU / ml of the hormone. The maximum rate in this case should not exceed 30,000 mU / ml. From the eleventh to the sixteenth week of pregnancy, the hCG level is in the range from 6140 to 103000 mU / ml. From the seventeenth to the thirty-ninth week of pregnancy, an indicator from 4720 to 80100 mU / ml is considered the norm.

It should be borne in mind that the indicators in different laboratories may vary. It all depends on the unit of measure. In any case, it is best to contact a specialist for decryption. It is not worth analyzing the result of the study on your own.

Causes of deviations from the normal indicator

Deviations from the norm may indicate various pathologies. For a pregnant woman, a mismatch in the level of hCG in the blood to the established norm may be a signal of the presence of such problems as:

disorder of the nervous system of the unborn child;
the risk of developing Down syndrome;
syncytial endometritis.

Deviation from the permissible norm may be in the case of multiple pregnancy. The presence of one of the above phenomena is usually indicated by an increased content of hCG.

Deviation from the norm in a smaller direction can say:

about the threat of spontaneous miscarriage;
about the development of chromosomal pathologies in the unborn baby;
about stopping the development of the fetus;
about the presence of damage to the placenta.

Anxiety should not arise in the patient if he takes or took until recently drugs that included the specified hormone. In this case, before starting the analysis, it is necessary to warn the attending physician about taking such drugs. Otherwise, obtaining reliable results of the study is impossible.

Instead of a conclusion

That is why many are interested in how long the analysis for hCG is done. Unfortunately, there is no exact answer to this question. The timing of the study depends directly on the workload of the laboratories. Women are concerned about how much time an hCG test is done for pregnancy? The answer is similar. The presence of an "interesting position" does not affect the speed of the study. In public institutions, the waiting period can be from two to three days. In private clinics, the result can be obtained within a few hours after the collection of biological material, i.e. blood.

Early pregnancy can be confirmed with a simple hCG blood test. The presence of this hormone in the body of a woman is responsible for the full development of the fetus.

Determination of pregnancy by blood: expediency of application

One common way to check for pregnancy is by using pregnancy tests. However, this kind of "home check" is not always a 100% guarantee of the reliability of the result. For example, the test showed a negative result, and ideally, you have already new life. In addition, a urinary test rarely states the fact of pregnancy at an early stage, as a rule, only from the first day of the delay in the monthly cycle.

When will hCG test show pregnancy?

It is possible to confirm or deny fertilization at the initial stage by means of a blood test to determine pregnancy. Such a study is called biochemical screening for the level of hCG (human gonadotropin). Gonadotropin is a hormone produced in the body of a woman during fertilization. This protein, its concentrate in the body, indicates not only the “interesting position” of the girl, but also shows the duration of the expected pregnancy in weeks.

It is important to note that through general analysis blood to determine the presence of the fetus is impossible, as some girls think. This type of diagnosis shows the level of hemoglobin, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, but the fact of conception does not prove it.

It is reasonable to take a blood test for hCG during pregnancy in cases where the strip test “plays stripes with you” showing either one or several strips, in the case of artificial insemination.

It is important that the result of the analysis for gonadotropin is deciphered exclusively by a gynecologist, and not by experienced “friends-advisers”. For example, late ovulation occurs, and conception does not occur at the expected moment. This leads to some complications, in particular, ectopic pregnancy. An inexperienced woman will not determine this fact on her own and let it pass by her ears. Which, as a result, will lead to a deplorable situation.

What day will hcg show pregnancy

After the egg is fertilized, the level of gonadotropin gradually increases. In girls in position, the hormone increases several times every two hours. After 12 days of fertilization, an hCG test will probably fix the pregnancy. In some cases, the study is carried out for 8-9 days. If the date of conception is not known, doctors recommend a diagnosis after four weeks from the first day of the last monthly cycle.

If the result of a blood test for hCG is 5 mU / ml or lower, pregnancy is not confirmed. When a laboratory test showed a result of less than 50 mU / ml (does not confirm or refute the presence of a fetus), experts recommend retaking the blood test. With a result above 50 units, we can safely assert the existence of an embryo.

Below is a table with approximate data on the level of the “pregnancy hormone” for the corresponding period after conception.
It should be noted that the indicated level of gonadotropin is not the final indicators of the norm, but approximate. Each individual woman's body is individual, so the level of the hormone may vary. In addition, different laboratories adhere to their own hCG standards, so the initial and repeated analyzes should be done in the same outpatient clinic.

What follows if:

The level of gonadotropin has increased several times from the last results - this is a wonderful sign. You are in position.
The degree of hCG is lower than with a full pregnancy, about two to three times - a sign of a problematic pregnancy (ectopic);
If the level of hCG rises rapidly, it indicates multiple pregnancy (the hormone grows in accordance with the number of fetuses in the uterus); with early toxicosis; in case of endocrine diseases; in the later stages, it signals the overbearing of the child.
The concentration of the “pregnancy hormone” did not increase in dynamics - a sign of the fading of the embryo.
Along with laboratory tests, a pregnant woman should undergo early ultrasound screening. Fetal ultrasound is an accurate and visual determination of the fact of uterine pregnancy. HCG screening only fixes fertilization, but does not guarantee a healthy, normally developing pregnancy.

Ultrasound diagnostics from the 5-6th week of pregnancy determines the period of gestation, confirms the pulse of the embryo. Such a study can confirm or refute an ectopic pregnancy, which is impossible to do with a conventional hCG blood test.