Does low hcg mean ectopic pregnancy?

During the prenatal checkup, especially in the early stages of pregnancy, the HCG level will be measured. The hCG value is also very important for pregnant women. If the hCG value is too low, it is likely that the pregnant woman's embryo is not developing well, leading to an ectopic pregnancy. Therefore, if the HCG value is low, pregnant women must be more careful and receive treatment under the guidance of a doctor!

1. Reasons for the decrease of hCG in early pregnancy

After abortion, hCG levels may gradually decrease. If not, this may be a sign of spontaneous abortion or the cessation of development of the embryo itself. It is recommended that you go to the hospital for an ultrasound to see if there are any abnormalities.

Whether HCG does not rise or is low depends on the stage of the patient. If it is the early pregnancy, that is, before two months of pregnancy, the HCG concentration does not increase in multiples, it may be an ectopic pregnancy and the embryo has not developed well. Because generally when the embryo develops normally, the HCG concentration increases at a rate of doubling every other day when the pregnancy is between 40 and 60 days.

2. The role of hCG

(1) It has the functions of FSH and LH, maintaining the life of the menstrual corpus luteum and enlarging the menstrual corpus luteum into the corpus luteum of pregnancy.

(2) Promote the aromatization of androgens into estrogens and stimulate the formation of progesterone.

(3) Inhibit the stimulation of lymphocytes by plant lectins. Human chorionic gonadotropin can be adsorbed on the surface of trophoblast cells to prevent embryonic trophoblast cells from being attacked by maternal lymphocytes.

(4) LH-like function: before the fetal pituitary gland secretes LH, it stimulates the fetal testicles to secrete testosterone to promote male sexual differentiation. It can also promote the development of gonads, stimulate the activity of interstitial cells in the testicles in men, and increase the secretion of male hormones (testosterone). It is of great significance for the treatment of male patients with combined pituitary deficiency. It can not only promote gonadal development and the secretion of male hormones, but also promote the development of secondary sexual characteristics.

(5) Can bind to the TSH receptors of maternal thyroid cells and stimulate thyroid activity.

3. What to do if HCG is low

If the HCG value is relatively low, it may be that the examination is performed too early, or it may indicate the possibility of biochemical pregnancy, miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. Patients are advised to continue to pay attention to changes in HCG. If necessary, they should go to the hospital to seek help from a professional doctor and actively receive diagnosis and treatment. The HCG blood test is a method of determining whether a woman is pregnant by measuring the HCG value in her blood. The best time to do a blood HCG test is 8-10 days after intercourse, because the blood contains a higher HCG value at this time, and the test will be more accurate.