After sexual intercourse, the woman’s egg cell is fertilized by the man’s sperm, allowing the cells to divide and multiply rapidly. The number of cells increases over time and as the embryo grows, the cells begin to change and differentiate. Some of the cells make up the placenta and some make up the baby. The cells that make up the placenta begin to produce human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), or pregnancy hormone, in the body of the expectant mother.
What is the β hCG Hormone?
β hCG is a hormone secreted by trophoblasts following conception. There are 2 subtypes of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, alpha and beta, and β hCG is pregnancy specific. β hCG, which is close to 100% pregnancy specific, can very rarely be elevated in non-pregnant situations.
How are β hCG Values in Pregnancy?
The β hCG levels of a non-pregnant woman are 0-10 mlU/ml. With pregnancy, the β hCG value starts to rise within the first 7 to 12 days after fertilization of the egg. Pregnancy can be detected at this stage. During pregnancy, the β hCG value usually increases by a factor of one every two days. Values start to fall in the last months of pregnancy. In cases where B hCG is extremely high, mole pregnancy and gestational trophoblastic diseases come to mind.
Average β hCG levels by week in a normal pregnancy;
| Number of Weeks Since Last Menstruation | HCG (mIU/ml) (INCIID) |
| 3 weeks | 5 – 50 |
| 4 weeks | 3 – 426 |
| 5 weeks | 19 – 7,340 |
| 6 weeks | 1,080 – 56,500 |
| 7 – 12 weeks | 7,650 – 288,000 |
| 13 – 16 weeks | 13,300 – 254,000 |
| 17 – 24 weeks | 4,060 – 165,400 |
| 25 – 40 weeks |
In a normal pregnancy, β hCG levels in the blood are highly variable. However, if the expected increase in β hCG levels does not occur in the early stages of pregnancy, various adverse events should be considered. In such cases, unhealthy pregnancy conditions such as chemical pregnancy and ectopic pregnancy come to mind. The β hCG test can also be elevated in cases of cancer or gestational trophoblastic disease outside of pregnancy.
In conclusion, we hope that your β hCG test will increase at the desired level at the desired time.
