Earlier Detection of Pregnancy with Serum Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Shows Excellent Prognostic Value in Gestation 4 Weeks after In Vitro Fertilization

Measurement of serum human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) concentration is a standard method to detect pregnancies after in vitro fertilization (IVF). Radio immune assay or for HCG targeting the specific beta subunit of HCG dimer was established more than 30 years ago [1,2]. Today, more advanced assay methods are widely used in many medical institutes. While transvaginal ultrasound can detect pregnancies later than 4-5 weeks of gestation, measurement of serum HCG can detect them at later than 3 weeks of gestation because the HCG production from trophoblasts starts just after implantation [3].