Causes of low hCG levels during pregnancy
Low hCG levels during pregnancy are an alarming sign. If the embryo develops safely, human chorionic gonadotropin grows very quickly and reaches its maximum by 8-9 weeks. When the hCG rate increases slowly, this may indicate problems in the development of the child.
Causes of low hCG during pregnancy
There are certain norms for the content of hCG in the blood of a pregnant woman. Since every woman’s body is unique, these norms are quite flexible. But still, if the hormone indicators do not even reach the lower limit of acceptable values, this should be a cause for concern.
Low hCG levels during pregnancy are determined by a blood test from a vein
The reasons for this may be the following:
- Ectopic pregnancy. With an ectopic pregnancy, the embryo is not fixed in the body of the uterus, but outside it: in the tube, on the ovary or on the cervix. In this case, hCG will grow, but since such a pregnancy has no chance of developing normally, the hormone will rise very slowly.
- Frozen pregnancy. If the embryo stops developing and dies, the body stops producing hCG. Analyzes can show not only the absence of growth of the hormone, but even its sharp drop.
- Risk of miscarriage. The growth of hCG is somewhat inhibited if there is a threat of miscarriage. The threat can be provoked by various reasons: infections, hormonal imbalance, Rh-conflict, bad habits, intense physical activity.
- Genetic disorders in the fetus. There are certain chromosomal pathologies in which the level of hCG will be abnormally low – Edwards syndrome, triploidy. Of course, it is impossible to give a child such an analysis based only on low hCG during pregnancy, without additional research.
Not only the individual hCG indicator is important, but also the dynamics of its development. Therefore, it makes sense to take tests twice to see how quickly the indicators increase. Perhaps the situation will improve in a few days.
Low hCG during pregnancy is a reason to undergo additional research, for example, an ultrasound procedure. If the embryo died, this can be determined accurately. Also, ultrasound greatly facilitates the diagnosis of an ectopic pregnancy.
If a low hCG was recorded at the first screening, the indicators need to be assessed in combination with other hormones. If there is a serious suspicion of genetic abnormalities, your doctor may recommend a chorionic villus sampling or placental biopsy. This will give an accurate answer to the question of whether the child is healthy.