Which hormone is commonly detected to confirm pregnancy due to placental secretion?

Which hormone is commonly detected to confirm pregnancy due to placental secretion?

• A. Estrogen
• B. Luteinizing hormone
• C. hCG
• D. Progesterone

Answer: (C)

Human chorionic gonadotropin, produced by placental trophoblasts after implantation, is the hormone detected to confirm pregnancy. Its appearance in maternal blood or urine indicates that pregnancy has begun because it comes specifically from placental tissue early on. hCG helps keep the corpus luteum active, which in turn maintains progesterone production to support the endometrium during the first weeks of pregnancy. This placental signal is what pregnancy tests are designed to detect, making it the most reliable indicator of pregnancy compared to other hormones. LH is released by the pituitary and triggers ovulation, not pregnancy, while estrogen and progesterone are involved in pregnancy but can be elevated for reasons other than pregnancy and are not unique markers of implantation. As pregnancy progresses, the placenta eventually takes over progesterone production, but the early and specific presence of hCG is the standard sign used to confirm pregnancy.

Human chorionic gonadotropin, produced by placental trophoblasts after implantation, is the hormone detected to confirm pregnancy. Its appearance in maternal blood or urine indicates that pregnancy has begun because it comes specifically from placental tissue early on. hCG helps keep the corpus luteum active, which in turn maintains progesterone production to support the endometrium during the first weeks of pregnancy. This placental signal is what pregnancy tests are designed to detect, making it the most reliable indicator of pregnancy compared to other hormones. LH is released by the pituitary and triggers ovulation, not pregnancy, while estrogen and progesterone are involved in pregnancy but can be elevated for reasons other than pregnancy and are not unique markers of implantation. As pregnancy progresses, the placenta eventually takes over progesterone production, but the early and specific presence of hCG is the standard sign used to confirm pregnancy.