This story is from September 9, 2019

What are hCG hormones and how they affect pregnancy

Every healthy pregnancy requires certain levels of hCG hormone, which can be detected by a pregnancy test.
What are hCG hormones and how they affect pregnancy
Every healthy pregnancy requires certain levels of hCG hormone, which can be detected by a pregnancy test. The levels of your hCG hormone can tell if you are pregnant but there is more that the hCG levels can tell about your pregnancy. Read on to know more.
What is hCG?
The full form of hCG is human chorionic gonadotropin, which is produced by the outer layer of an early-pregnancy and pre-embryo structure called the blastocyst.
This outer layer supplies the embryo with nutrients and later forms the part of fetal membranes and placenta. The presence of hCG hormone is usually a sign of pregnancy, but it can also mean an ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilized egg implants itself somewhere other than the uterus.
How to measure hCG?
The easily available home pregnancy test kits can detect the hCG in the urine once it reaches 25 mIU/mL or more. There are also kits known as early detection kits that can detect even when the hCG levels are as low as just 10 mIU/mL. These tests do not tell the exact levels of the hCG hormone but simply if they are high enough to indicate pregnancy.
Though blood tests are more sensitive as they can detect pregnancy earlier than the urine test. The levels can also confirm the exact stage of pregnancy. Unless you have some pregnancy complications, you won’t need to check your hCG levels once you confirm the pregnancy.

What are healthy hCG levels?
The hCG levels vary widely during the entire pregnancy. During a healthy pregnancy, the hCG levels rise by 50 per cent in every 48 hours. The hCG levels peak around 10 weeks.
Here is a chart for the range of the expected levels at different times:
Less than 1 week 5 to 50 mIU/mL
1 to 2 weeks 50 to 500 mIU/mL
2 to 3 weeks 100 to 5,000 mIU/mL
3 to 4 weeks 500 to 10,000 mIU/mL
4 to 5 weeks 1,000 to 50,000 mIU/mL
5 to 6 weeks 10,000 to 100,000 mIU/mL
6 to 8 weeks 15,000 to 200,000 mIU/mL
8 to 12 weeks 10,000 to 100,000 mIU/mL
What if your hCG levels are too low?
Low levels of hCG can simply be a sign of early pregnancy. But if they do not increase a few days later, it could suggest ectopic pregnancy. You can only this when you get two blood tests done in a gap of a few days.
What if the hCG levels are too high?
High levels of hCG could signal twins or triplets but it can also be an indication to gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD). If your early hCG readings are too high, you need to follow up with the doctor to know the exact cause. Your doctor may also ask you to get the hCG levels checked later in the pregnancy if you experience hyperemesis gravidarum (severe morning sickness), a thyroid storm and vaginal bleeding all of which are symptoms of GTD.
When will the hCG levels go back to pre-pregnancy levels?
With a normal pregnancy, the hCG levels go back to normal after six weeks of delivery.
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