High HCG at 5+3 - a sign of abnormalities??

[Wombat33]

Hello all, I'm a bit scared to post this here but I'm hoping you ladies may be able to giive me some information.

I lost my first pg to MC at 7 wks back in September. I'm now pg again but because of my previous MC I was terrified when all my sypmtoms disappeared last week, so my GP did a blood test.

I think was 24 dpo or 5+3 (but I was 5+6 by LMP - I have long cycles). HCG came back as 24041 iu/L (which I think is same as mui/mL).

I think this is very high?!?! My GP couldn't say either way, but is doing a second test this week.

Seperately I've been told that I'm at high risk of chromosomal abnormalities (possibly 50:50) and so I'm worried that my HCG level at this stage indicates there is something wrong with the baby. Can anyone help??

[deemented]

In my experience high hcg is more an indictor that it may be a multiple pregnancy.

My hcg was 27750 at 6+2 with triplets.

[Wombat33]

Thanks Deemented. That would be a much more welcome cause! I hope the rest of your triplet pg went/is going well!

[deemented]

Sadly not, but i do have a very lovely and lively six year old DS year old as a result of it

Fingers crossed all goes well for you - do let us know.

[Sparklies]

At the 11-14 week scan, higher than average levels of "free" bHCG are a marker (nothing more) for Down syndrome. That doesn't mean to say that high bHCG early on will be high later on at all although it's possible there is a correlation.

I have high bHCG with all my pregnancies as I think I mentioned to you on a different board - at 14dpo I was above average for triplets. Neither of my living children have any chromosomal problems (that we're aware of!) Did you have betas with your last pregnancy?

Honestly I have heard so many stories with high bHCG levels at the 11-14 week scan and it's nothing. It's just one marker.

Unfortunately all you can do is wait and see. In light of the chromosomal issues you mention, if you are that worried I think you can get a CVS done really early (maybe even 9-10 weeks?) so you can find out for sure.

Sorry you are going through such stress. Unfortunately pregnancy is a total waiting game and only time seems to give answers, and it's bloody exhausting stressing!

[Wombat33]

Thanks Sparklies, it's reassuring that you have no problems. I guess I just have to wait and see, but i'm not very good at that as you can tell

[Sparklies]

Me either! I'm currently 24 weeks after getting screen positive for Down syndrome at 13 weeks (1 in 34) mostly thanks to the very low PAPP-A which is the other hormone they test. I couldn't face invasive testing myself when the odds were 97% it was fine, so we're getting an amnio at 30 weeks when it's safer. It's been a long old stressful wait and not one I'm dealing with particularly well!

Oh, for a time machine

[Wombat33]

Oh Sparklies that sounds seriously stressful. Big hugs and I hope you get a good outscome with your amnio. To me, 1 in 34 actually sounds like pretty good odds!! Mine are 1 in 2 of a chomosomal abnormality and I'm looking at that as as much chance of everything being fine as not

[Sparklies]

Yep - if my odds had been as yucky as yours, or even under 1 in 20 or for a lethal abnormality I'd have probably opted for the invasive testing too. It was right on the borderline which was what made the decision so tricky!

Really hoping yours work out - as you say, 50/50. If a raffle prize was that you would enter. Hang in there.