Description

Human Chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is a glycoprotein hormone secreted by the developing placenta shortly after fertilization. During normal pregnancy, HCG can be detected in urine as early as 7 days following conception, doubling every 1.3 to 2 days. At the time of the last missed menstrual period, urine HCG levels are about **0mlU/ml with peak levels of **0, **0 to **0, **0mlU/ml seen at the end of the first trimester. The presence of HCG soon after conception and its subsequent increase in concentration during early gestational growth make it an ideal marker for the early detection of pregnancy.