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The best test for confirming pregnancy is the blood test, since through this test it is possible to detect small amounts of the hormone HCG, which is produced during pregnancy. The blood test result indicates that the woman is pregnant when the beta-HCG hormone values are greater than 5.0 mlU / ml.
It is recommended that the blood test to detect pregnancy is done only 10 days after fertilization, or on the first day after menstrual delay. The beta-HCG test can also be performed before the delay, but in this case, it is more likely to be a false-negative result.
To perform the exam, a medical prescription or fasting is not necessary and the result can be reported in a few hours after blood is collected and sent to the laboratory.
What is HCG
HCG is the acronym that represents the hormone chorionic gonadotropin, which is only produced when the woman is pregnant or has some serious hormonal change, which is being caused by some disease. Normally the HCG beta blood test is only performed when pregnancy is suspected, since the presence of this hormone in the blood is more indicative of pregnancy than the presence of this hormone in the urine, which is detected through the pharmacy pregnancy test.
However, when the Beta HCG test result is undetectable or inconclusive and the woman has symptoms of pregnancy, the test should be repeated 3 days later. See what are the first 10 symptoms of pregnancy.
How to understand the result
To understand the result of the HCG beta exam, enter the value in the calculator:
It is recommended that the test be performed after at least 10 days of menstrual delay, to avoid a false result. This is because after fertilization, which takes place in the tubes, the fertilized egg can take several days to reach the uterus. Thus, beta HCG values can take up to 6 days of fertilization to start increasing.
If the test is performed before, it is possible that a false-negative result is reported, that is, the woman may be pregnant but this is not reported in the test, as it is likely that the body was unable to produce the hormone hCG in sufficient concentrations be detectable and indicative of pregnancy.
Difference between quantitative and qualitative beta HCG
As the name implies, the quantitative beta-HCG test indicates the amount of hormone present in the blood. This test is done by collecting a blood sample that is sent to the laboratory for analysis. From the test result, it is possible to identify the concentration of the hCG hormone in the blood and, depending on the concentration, indicate the week of pregnancy.
The qualitative HCG beta test is the pharmacy pregnancy test that only indicates whether the woman is pregnant or not, the hormone concentration in the blood is not informed and the gynecologist recommends a blood test to confirm the pregnancy. Understand when the pregnancy test can give false positive results.
How to tell if you are pregnant with twins
In cases of twin pregnancies, the hormone values are higher than those indicated for each week, but in order to confirm and know the number of twins, an ultrasound scan should be performed from the 6th week of gestation.
The woman may suspect that she is pregnant with twins when she gets to know approximately what week she became pregnant, and compare with the table above to check the corresponding amount of beta HCG. If the numbers don't add up, she may be pregnant with more than 1 baby, but this can only be confirmed by ultrasound.
See what blood test to do to find out the sex of the baby before the ultrasound.
Other exam results
The results of beta HCG can also indicate problems such as ectopic pregnancy, abortion or anembryonic pregnancy, which is when the embryo does not develop.
These problems can usually be identified when the hormone values are lower than expected for the gestational age of pregnancy, being necessary to seek the obstetrician to assess the cause of the hormonal change.
What to do after confirming pregnancy
After confirming the pregnancy with the blood test, it is important to make an appointment with the obstetrician to start prenatal care, taking the necessary tests to ensure a healthy pregnancy, without complications such as pre-eclampsia or gestational diabetes.
Find out which tests are most important to do during the first trimester of pregnancy.