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Should The Fetus Be Terminated If HCG Levels Are High?

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Posted on Mon, 7 May 2012
Question: i have a friend who is pregnant who has very high HCG levels. she restricts her calorie intake severly and does not eat any food with fat....so no meat or fish
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Follow up: Dr. Chetna Jain (7 minutes later)
She has received her blood test results showing HCG at 14 MoM (multiples of the mean). She is around 12 weeks.

She most likely has not told her doctors about her extreme eating habits (very low calories, no fat).

Given that my understanding of HCG is to tell the body to release stored energy for the baby...if she has not stored fat and is also not consuming fats...does it make sense that the very high levels of HCG could be due to the baby demanding more energy than what it is receiving from the mother's body?

Her current doctor was probably not told about her eating habits and so their diagnosis was that it was generics and nothing can be done...so they have been given 2 weeks to decide whether to terminate or not, given if the HCG levels remain so high the baby will not survive past week 26 apparently.

What do you think?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Chetna Jain (5 hours later)
Hello XXXXXXX XXXXXXX

Thanks for your query.

HCG levels vary in individual pregnancies and in different people.

Poor fat intake can lead to deficiency of fat soluble vitamins leading to
problems both for the mother and the baby.

A normal BMI ( Body Mass Index) is essential for adequate growth of the baby.

It is suggested to XXXXXXX a nutrition expert for corrective Dietary measures for the current short term and otherwise long term health of your friend.

Very high levels of HCG are seen in molar pregnancy and multiple pregnancy like twins,an ultrasound needs to be done to confirm this possibility.

If ultrasound is ok and there is no excessive vomiting, high HCG level is unlikely to affect the pregnancy.

Hope I have answered your query.

I will be available if you have any further queries.

Wishing you good health.

Regards,
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E
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Answered by
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Dr. Chetna Jain

OBGYN

Practicing since :1990

Answered : 236 Questions

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Should The Fetus Be Terminated If HCG Levels Are High?

She has received her blood test results showing HCG at 14 MoM (multiples of the mean). She is around 12 weeks.

She most likely has not told her doctors about her extreme eating habits (very low calories, no fat).

Given that my understanding of HCG is to tell the body to release stored energy for the baby...if she has not stored fat and is also not consuming fats...does it make sense that the very high levels of HCG could be due to the baby demanding more energy than what it is receiving from the mother's body?

Her current doctor was probably not told about her eating habits and so their diagnosis was that it was generics and nothing can be done...so they have been given 2 weeks to decide whether to terminate or not, given if the HCG levels remain so high the baby will not survive past week 26 apparently.

What do you think?