Blood test for hCG level
The very first analysis that a woman can make herself is to do a pregnancy test. It is thanks to him that you can determine the presence and level of urine in the urine of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), which allows you to identify pregnancy in the early stages. If after a test you have doubts about its results, you need to make a blood test for hCG in the laboratory.
The norm of hCG during pregnancy
- In order to understand what is at issue, it is necessary to find out what the human chorionic gonadotropin is. After the fertilized egg is attached to the uterus, the chorion (the scientific name for the fetal embryo) begins to produce gonadotropin. This is to protect the embryo from aggressive conditions of introduction into the maternal organism.
By the way, the constantly changing hormonal background in pregnant women is due to the presence of this hormone, which facilitates the restructuring of all processes in the female body to maintain and develop a new life.
- In addition, hCG reduces the activity of the immune system, not allowing it to destroy the "alien" organism. It is for this reason that early on the hormone is produced very intensively, increasing almost twice in every two days.
- If we consider the norm of the content of hCG in the blood, then it should be noted that in the first couple of weeks it can reach 300 units, the third - 5000, at the end of the first month approaches 30 000. Some people in the period from 5 to 8 weeks, even up to 200 000 units. After this peak, there is usually a decrease in hormone levels in the body of a pregnant woman.
How to diagnose an ectopic or frozen pregnancy?
It should be noted that the results of the test ectopic pregnancy displayed equivalent to the usual, so you should immediately after receiving a positive result, contact a specialist. An experienced physician will be able to detect pathological abnormalities by means of ultrasound, diagnostic laparoscopy and hormonal blood analysis at an early date. The latter is effective because, with an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy, the level of hCG is significantly reduced, which is evidence of an embryo placement in the woman's body, or the presence of a frozen pregnancy.
Is there any cause for concern with increased hCG?
It is necessary to mention that the physiological features of the future mother's organism can influence the deviation of hCG from the norm in one direction or another on each of the weeks. This fact must be taken into account before you independently establish a diagnosis - the analysis and comparison of figures should be handled by the doctor from whom you are observed.
Not always an elevated level of this hormone in the blood means a deviation in pregnancy, it can only accompany toxicosis. But, if in combination with other tests, its indices are very different from the norm, this may indicate the presence of diabetes mellitus or gestosis, in some cases - even that there is a risk of having a child with Down's syndrome.
Still, it is worth recalling again that it is not necessary to prematurely panic if there are abnormalities in hCG levels from the norm, since this can be due to many factors. That is why the final diagnosis should be entrusted to the specialist - the treating doctor.