How hCG should grow: growth dynamics from conception to childbirth, norm, pathology and advice from gynecologists

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Women who have already become mothers, as well as those who are just planning to conceive and have a baby, know how hCG should grow. The easiest way to clarify the concentration of hCG in the body is a home test that allows you to determine the fact of conception. A pair of strips, which indicates the birth of a new life, appears if an increased percentage of hCG is detected in the liquid studied by a simple method. What is it?

General information

It is known that tests designed to show what the likelihood of pregnancy are ineffective if used before a missed period. Testing will not give an accurate amount of the hormonal compound. The results will not show how long the fetus has been in existence. To get accurate information, you need to contact the clinic, where they will do a special blood test. This is more effective, since the active substance first appears in the circulatory system, only then it is released fromorganism with urine.

Before you figure out how hCG should grow, it makes sense to formulate what it is. The abbreviation hides human chorionic gonadotropin. This is such a glycoprotein, a hormonal substance that is generated by fetal egg tissues. The processes begin when the embryo is implanted in the uterine walls. Soon it can be detected in the circulatory system of the mother's body. The hormone is formed by two units, called the Greek letters alpha, beta. The beta subunit is detected in the circulatory system earlier than the full-fledged molecular compound. For men, as well as women who are not expecting a child, the average indicator is from zero to five units. Accordingly, it is safe to say that the hCG indicator is one of the most reliable detectors of the emergence of a new life.

How to check?

In order to take tests correctly, you need to know how hCG should grow, at what stages of gestation it makes sense to do a check. Studies have shown that as early as a week after conception, a blood test to determine beta-hCG can show the fact of implantation. The most successful day is the eleventh day after conception. If the gestation proceeds normally, hCG can be detected in the blood plasma on the fifth day after the moment of implantation. The peak concentration of this hormone persists until the eighth or ninth week.

It is possible that even the approximate date of conception cannot be determined. In this case, it is necessary to do an analysis if the monthly bleeding is delayed by four days (you can check a day earlieror later). Reliable will be a check that falls on the period 3-4 weeks after the last day of menstruation. HCG is the only accurate and reliable indicator that gives an idea of the fact of conception already at an early date. Checking the concentration of this hormone allows you to determine the fact of pregnancy much earlier than an ultrasound scan shows.

Biology and Development

Human anatomy and biochemistry are such that hCG is responsible for supporting the functioning of the corpus luteum. The same hormone prevents the release of progesterone at an early stage of gestation. Doctors are well aware of how hCG should grow: both in the circulatory system and in urine, the content of this hormone gradually increases. In the first couple of days, the indicators double, the maximum is achievable by the eighth week, for some - until the end of the 12th. After about two weeks, the readings drop to one-fifth and sometimes even one-twentieth of the maximum. Then a plateau is reached.

If the process goes well, the concentration of hCG gradually increases. The decrease in the content of this hormone is due to a decrease in the relevance of the functioning of the corpus luteum. The process in each case is strictly individual. Accordingly, there are generalized results derived from observation of many women, but it must be understood that in a particular case there may be a variety of deviations, and they do not always indicate a pathology of the process.

General Observations

Average statistics reflecting how hCG should rise in early pregnancy are approximately as follows:

• In the first month, the content of the hormone doubles over a period of one to three days.
• During the second month, the doubling period reaches three and a half days.
• After 10-12 weeks, the content of the substance decreases.

If the concentration of the hormonal compound does not increase, if the parameters decrease prematurely, the woman should seek the help of a qualified doctor. Incorrect, non-standard dynamics may indicate a missed pregnancy. If the content of the hormonal substance significantly exceeds the norm, this may indicate a pathology. In particular, such analyzes indicate a hydatidiform mole.

When do we check?

Since doctors know how hCG should rise in the early stages, if a woman comes with a suggestion for conception, she is assigned specialized studies to determine the concentration of the substance, and they proceed from what the estimated terms of conception are. Detection of the hormone content is especially useful a week or two after fertilization and implantation of the egg. No less important is such a study, if a tumor is suspected - it allows you to make the correct diagnosis in time, and in the future - to control the development of the process.

In the case of an ectopic conception, hCG in the circulatory system, although it is detected, is in a lower concentration than with the correct course of the process. Timely research is the key to detecting process violations. In addition, such an analysis allows timelyto identify whether there is a simple delay in monthly bleeding or whether we are talking about the fertilization of the egg. A reduced concentration of a substance indicates a risk of miscarriage, indicates the death of an embryo in the uterus at an early stage or a pregnancy that does not develop.

Everything needs to be checked

The doctor, knowing how hCG should rise in the early stages, can refer the client for a comprehensive analysis. This is practiced in the vast majority of cases. At the same time, the content of hCG in the circulatory system, ACE, estriol is examined. Such a study must be done in the second third of the term. Evaluating the results of the analysis, you can understand how great the risks of chromosomal abnormalities are. The analysis is considered one of the most accurate and most valuable for assessing the condition of the embryo.

Relevance of research

hCG needs to be tested as it is a marker of pregnancy. With the help of the study, it is possible to detect conception at an early stage and estimate the gestational age. This is especially important if fertilization occurred through IVF.

It is necessary to know how the indicators change, what they are at the moment, in order to determine ectopic insemination in time. An equally important function of the study is prenatal diagnosis. It is often supplemented with an ultrasonic test.

Day after day

People usually rarely know how hCG should rise by the day. In order to correctly interpret the results of the research, you should check with the doctor which values are normal, which indicate possiblepathology. There are publicly available materials on this subject. They, like the table below, provide summary information. In each individual case, the values \u200b\u200bmay go beyond the specified limits, but at the same time do not talk about any troubles or problems. When passing the analysis, you should check with your doctor what results to expect. Although it is possible (theoretically) to read the indicators on your own, the probability of an erroneous interpretation is very high, therefore, in the general case, it is recommended not to take risks. Individual structural features of the body are possible, due to which the concentration of a hormonal substance differs from the standard normal indicator. It is quite possible that the pregnancy proceeds adequately, progresses classically, and the embryo is completely full-fledged. To understand whether this is so, only a qualified doctor who monitors the progress of the indicator can. In many ways, it is the dynamics of values that is important, and not a set of numbers taken out of context.

On average, non-pregnant women often show 0.1 mIU/ml. In the third week of gestation, the parameter reaches 71.2 units, and by the sixth it can rise to 31,795. The increase in hCG in the early period is insignificant. So, in the fourth week, indicators from 9.5 mIU / ml are considered normal, although in some the value reaches 750 units. But by the fifth week, in the vast majority of pregnant women, hCG has at least 217 units. Normal, average are considered indicators up to 7 138.

Time and parameters

Usually, doctors do not advise a woman to find out the heightHCG by day, since it is enough to track the dynamics for weeks. So, if by the sixth week values of more than 31 thousand units are considered normal, then for the seventh the minimum norm is a little more than three and a half thousand, while the highest is 163.5 thousand. Observations of numerous pregnant women have shown that in the eighth week, hCG in the majority varies from 32 to 150 thousand units. On the ninth week, a value of about 63.8 thousand is taken as the minimum norm, while the maximum does not exceed 151.5 thousand. A week later, there is a decrease in the minimum normal value to 46.5 thousand. The maximum, revealed in the course of statistical research, reaches 187 thousand units.

Without controlling the growth of hCG by day, but by monitoring the indicators week by week, you can roughly navigate how normal the process is. So, the average case is indicated by the parameters taken during the tenth and eleventh weeks and turned out to be more than 27.8 thousand, but less than 210.6 thousand. For the 14th week, 14 thousand units are defined as the minimum norm, and no more than 62.5 thousand units as the maximum. A week later, the majority ranges from 12 to 71 thousand units. You can already see a noticeable decrease in performance compared to the previous peak. For the 16th week, the normal value is considered to be more than nine thousand, but not more than 56.5 thousand. A week later, hCG should range from eight to 56 thousand, and by the 18th week at the same minimum value, it usually does not exceed 58 thousand units.

Why more?

If the growth dynamics of hCG differs from the above, it is quite possible that the reason for this is the individual characteristics of the organism, while there is no pathology, the process proceeds quite normally. However, this is not always the case. If hCG is observed above the norm, sometimes this does not signal conception at all. As specialized medical studies have shown, this phenomenon accompanies serinoma, may indicate testicular teratoma or hydatidiform mole, as well as an exacerbation of this condition. The growth of hCG is associated with chorioncarcinoma, a recurrence of the pathological condition, and may indicate neoplasms in the gastrointestinal tract. Among other diseases indicated by an increase in the concentration of a normal compound is colorectal oncology. There are cases when hCG increased due to neoplasms in the reproductive, renal, respiratory systems.

An increase in the concentration of hCG is possible if a person receives medicines containing this hormonal compound. If a woman has had an abortion and 4-5 days after this event, the blood is checked for the concentration of hormones, as a rule, the level of hCG is found to be elevated.

Pregnancy: when are readings above normal?

The reason for the excess growth of hCG in early pregnancy may be the presence of several fetuses. More than the norm, indicators are observed if the gestation has dragged on longer than the due date. The values that the analysis shows may diverge from expectations if the moment of conception is incorrectly determined and the period is longer than previously assumed. In some cases, basedhCG values can be used to diagnose gestational diabetes mellitus. Exceeding standard values may indicate early toxicosis. Chromosomal embryonic disorders are among the possible causes of the phenomenon. Above average values are possible if a woman receives artificial gestagens.

It is known that in the case of Down syndrome, the concentration of hCG increases. Such an analysis gives an idea of whether a woman and her child belong to a risk group. Only on its basis it is impossible to determine the pathology. If the check reveals an increase in values above the average, the woman is prescribed additional tests to clarify the reasons for the deviation from the standard values. The probability of having a child with Down syndrome is usually determined already in the first third of the term. Currently, every woman is required to be screened. He is prescribed at the time of 11-13 weeks. If hCG studies showed a deviation from the norm upwards, a second study should be done after two or three days, giving an idea of the dynamics of changes in the concentration of hormones in the blood.

And if less?

Sometimes there is a non-standard increase, low hCG. If the analyzes show just such a deviation from the standard indicators, conception can be assumed with the fixation of the fetal egg outside the uterus. Perhaps the pregnancy froze and the fetus does not develop. There may be a discrepancy between the real and estimated dates: the duration of gestation is less than that determined for a particular case. Decreased concentration may indicate the likelihood of interruption. Whereinthe content of the hormonal substance progressively decreases and differs from the average norm by about half.

Incorrect growth, low hCG are characteristic of the case of placental insufficiency. There is a danger of true overwearing. If deviations are observed in the second or third parts of the term, a drop in hCG may indicate antenatal death of the embryo.

Truth and Falsity

Although doctors are well aware of how hCG should rise during pregnancy, how to check this indicator and how to interpret the results, erroneous conclusions are possible due to the imperfection of the analysis. Any modern methods of taking indicators are such that an incorrect assessment of a person's condition is possible. The probability of incorrect results is relatively small, but it is still important to take it into account. If the results of the studies are ambiguous, it is necessary to re-donate blood to assess the content of hormonal compounds. The optimal interval between attempts is from a couple to three days. In the case of pregnancy, the results of the studies will differ from each other by one and a half or two times. If there is no pregnancy, the values may remain the same, may become slightly higher.

There is a possibility of false negative results of the study. This is the name of the situation when, under laboratory conditions, blood samples are obtained from a pregnant woman for research, but upon completion, the condition is diagnosed as the absence of conception. Usually, doctors are well aware of how much hCG should rise in a particular case, and a diagnosis error can be explained by the incorrect work of the laboratory assistant. For example, it may be wrong orpoor quality blood. Unwanted wrong results will give too early research. A false negative response is possible when the fetus is fixed outside the uterus, as well as in case of delayed ovulation, delayed implantation.

Because diseases can cause hCG levels to rise, a false positive test result is sometimes observed in a number of pathologies. In practice, a false positive diagnosis of pregnancy occurs with a very low frequency. This usually indicates serious illness, mainly cancer.

About the nuances

If the tests show a slow increase in hCG, if a woman has received the results of the studies and doubts the correctness of their reading, you need to consult a doctor. If the results are such that the woman is sure of the presence of abnormalities, pathologies, a visit to the doctor is strictly necessary. First of all, with the results of the research, they make an appointment with a gynecologist. The doctor will formulate recommendations for the case, and, if necessary, advise to do a second study.

Be aware that taking oral contraceptives does not correct the hCG value. The content of this hormone in the female body is not affected by the intake of other drugs. The exception is the means in which it is included. These are usually prescribed if a person is undergoing fertility treatment.

Until the sixth week, pregnancy can be detected only and exclusively by a blood test showing the concentration of hCG. If the values do not increase or decrease, it makes sense to assumespontaneous interruption or fading of the process. Ultrasound, which gives a fairly accurate and complete picture of the course of pregnancy, is completely useless at such an early stage. If there was a spontaneous interruption, over the next few days, the content of hCG in the circulatory system will be above normal, after which the indicators will begin to gradually decrease, sooner or later dropping to the standard level for a non-pregnant woman.

Features and chemistry

Doctors are well aware of how fast hCG should rise - above this is quite clearly presented in tabular form. Doctors also know that hCG is a complex molecule, each of the subunits of which has specific features. Alpha is known for the nuances of its structure - in many ways this unit is close to other hormonal substances inherent in the female body. There are structural similarities with thyroid-stimulating molecules that stimulate the follicle and luteinize. Beta is a unit unique in its structural features. This is characteristic only of strictly pregnant women (or persons with the pathologies mentioned earlier). When they talk about how hCG should grow during IVF and normal conception, they mean the increase in the concentration in the blood plasma of the beta subunit of the hormonal substance.

If hCG is observed in the body at a very low concentration, it is completely impossible to detect it with modern research methods. If conception has happened, then blood tests usually do not show this substance before the seventh day - it is still too small, so even sensitive systems cannotperceive the presence of molecules. In urine, hCG is observed in volumes available for detection by modern methods only by the eighth or ninth day of gestation.

How do they check?

There are four ways to assess the concentration of beta-hCG. The choice in favor of a particular one is determined by the equipment that the clinic has and the needs of a particular client. It is taken into account that an explosive (rarely slow) growth of hCG is recorded up to the 12th week, followed by an increase in growth after the 22nd week of gestation. Quite often, if it is necessary to detect a hormonal substance during the first five weeks after conception, they resort to the radioimmunological method. On average, from the fourth or fifth week, the method of immunoradiometric measurement can be used. This approach can give a fairly complete picture only if the concentration of a hormonal substance exceeds the minimum threshold value for the methodology - 150 units. The method gives results relatively quickly, to get the result you need to wait from five minutes to half an hour.

Fluoroimmunological test gives an idea of the growth of hCG during IVF and classical conception, if the content of the hormonal compound in the circulatory system exceeds one unit. In the general case, this approach is used to determine the fact of successful conception already at 3.5 weeks. The technique is highly sensitive and is rarely used when checking a woman who suspects pregnancy. It is usually resorted to if a neoplasm producing thishormone. In addition, this approach is indispensable if a woman has previously suffered an abortion (spontaneous or induced), if it is necessary to timely identify the fact of attachment of the fetal egg outside the uterine cavity.

Features and numbers

On average, only five percent of women can detect the beta subunit of a hormonal substance on the eighth day after conception. For most, the threshold is 11 days.

If the growth of hCG after IVF is very poor and the content of the hormonal substance does not exceed five units, they speak of a negative result of the study and the absence of conception. Results above 25 units are considered positive. At the same time, a single test practically does not play a role and does not give an accurate picture, so a one-time study will not be the basis for detecting pregnancy.

As follows from the above information, after 6-7 weeks of gestation, the increase in the hormonal substance in the blood is relatively slow. While averages double every three and a half or four days, some have slower, poorer hCG rises. In the general case, this does not indicate pathology and does not indicate abnormalities in the development of the fetus, although the doctor may recommend additional examinations, based on specific indicators and their correspondence to the dynamics in general. But in the second half of the period, the concentration of the hormonal substance in question is only one tenth of the maximum observed in the first half. A slight increase is detected shortly beforepermission from burden.