|
IVF Success Rates IVF Pricing Options In Vitro Fertilization Egg Donation General Infertility Site Index Become a Patient
|
|
Early Pregnancy Including HCG levels and ultrasound findings Our IVF with Donor Eggs Success Rates Background When pregnancy begins depends on how "pregnancy' is defined. Does pregnancy begin when the sperm first penetrates the egg? Does it begin when the male and female pronuclei containing the chromosomal material move close together and decondense within the newly fertilized egg?
A human
embryos several hours after fertilization Does it begin when the male and female chromosomes pair up with each other and the fertilized egg subsequently divides into a 2-cell embryo? Does it begin when the embryo begins implantation about 6 days after ovulation? Or, does it begin when the woman recognizes that she is pregnant after her missed menstrual period and positive pregnancy test? HCG levels in pregnancy HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone made by the pregnancy that can be detected in the mother's blood or urine even before the woman's missed period. This hormone is what we look for with a "pregnancy test". HCG is first detectable in the blood as early as 7-8 days after ovulation by very sensitive HCG assays (research assays). In real life, blood pregnancy tests will be positive (> 2 mIU/ml) by 10-11 days after HCG injection or LH surge. In general, the HCG level will double every 2-3 days in early pregnancy. 85% of normal pregnancies will have the HCG level double every 72 hours. HCG levels peak at about 8-10 weeks of pregnancy and then decline, remaining at lower levels for the rest of the pregnancy. There is a large variation in a "normal" HCG level for any given time in pregnancy. Pregnancies destined to miscarry or to be ectopic (tubal) pregnancies tend to show lower levels (eventually), but often have normal levels initially. Some normal pregnancies will have quite low levels of HCG - and deliver perfect babies. Caution must be used in making too much of HCG "numbers". Ultrasound findings after 5-6 weeks of pregnancy are much more predictive of pregnancy outcome than are HCG levels. For women that have had an HCG injection as part of their infertility treatment, the hormone will take about 5-14 days to clear from the woman's system, depending on the dose and the individual woman. This can causes problems with interpretation of pregnancy tests done earlier than 14 days after an HCG injection. HCG levels
from normal singleton pregnancies These
values are from a group of 53 normal singleton pregnancies (a very small group) NORMAL SINGLE PREGNANCIES
The information in the table above is part of a study carried out by Dr. Sherbahn that compared HCG levels from single, twin and heterotopic (combined intrauterine and ectopic) pregnancies. HCG levels from
normal twin pregnancies Levels
are listed for various days after the ovulatory HCG injection or LH surge These
values are from a group of 29 normal twin pregnancies (a small group) NORMAL TWIN PREGNANCIES
The information in the table above is part of a study carried out by Dr. Sherbahn that compared HCG levels from single, twin and heterotopic (combined intrauterine and ectopic) pregnancies. Ultrasound in early
pregnancy Transvaginal
ultrasounds of normal pregnancies at 5.5 weeks of gestation Transvaginal
ultrasound of a normal pregnancy at 6.5 weeks of gestation Transvaginal
ultrasound of a normal pregnancy at 8.5 weeks of gestation Transvaginal ultrasound
of a normal pregnancy at 12 weeks of gestation
This fetus is 51mm long (2 inches) |
|
|