HCG Levels in Early Pregnancy

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Pregnantguide | The previous article, I have addressed about pregnancy symptoms week by week. This time I will be discussing about HCG Levels in Early Pregnancy. Hopefully this article helps you to monitor your baby's development in the womb.

HCG levels in early pregnancy chart picture.

Pregnancy tests - whether home tests or blood tests - measure HCG levels in early pregnancy. Pregnancy tests will show a positive result if HCG is detected. HCG stands for "human chorionic gonadotropin", which is measured in milli-international units per milliliter (mIU/ml).

When is HCG Detected?
HCG levels in early pregnancy can be detected approximately 11 days after conception by a blood test, and about 12-14 days after conception by a home pregnancy test, or urine test. In general, the HCG levels in early pregnancy should double every 48 hours in early pregnancy to indicate a viable pregnancy. This doubling rate will eventually slow down as the pregnancy progresses. After about 12 weeks of pregnancy, the placenta takes over in nourishing the baby.

If the HCG level is less than 5mIU/ml, a negative pregnancy test will result. The Rate of Increase Is What Counts For A Healthy Pregnancy!

Sometimes a completely healthy pregnancy will have low HCG levels in early pregnancy. An ultrasound is much more accurate than using exact HCG numbers.

HCG Levels Chart.
To get a general idea of the level of HCG at various stages in early pregnancy, follow this chart:
3 weeks: 5 - 50 mIU/ml
4 weeks: 5 - 426 mIU/ml
5 weeks: 18 - 7,340 mIU/ml
6 weeks: 1,080 - 56,500 mIU/ml
7 - 8 weeks: 7, 650 - 229,000 mIU/ml
9 - 12 weeks: 25,700 - 288,000 mIU/ml
13 - 16 weeks: 13,300 - 254,000 mIU/ml
17 - 24 weeks: 4,060 - 165,400 mIU/ml
25 - 40 weeks: 3,640 - 117,000 mIU/ml

Non-pregnant females: What Do Very Low Or Very High Levels Of HCG Mean?
If low levels of HCG are detected, or if the doubling rate is too far apart, this could be a sign of miscarriage, or blighted ovum (in which the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall, but the embryo does not develop). If the levels of HCG is unusually high, this could be a sign of a molar pregnancy, which is the result of a genetic error during fertilization. Molar pregnancies rarely produce a developing embryo. High levels could also be a sign of a multiple pregnancy.

HCG After Miscarriage or Childbirth.
HCG levels after miscarriage should slowly go down, and return to a non-pregnant state. This varies according to the situation - miscarriage, D&C or delivery of a healthy baby. The further along the pregnancy was, the longer it will take for levels to go back to non-pregnancy level

Article Source : EzineArticles
By Lisa_Simonelli_Rennie

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