Early Pregnancy Beta hCG Levels & Ectopic Pregnancy Concerns - Seeking Advice

Question
Hi I am 36, have 1 daughter age 7, have had 2 ectopics since her
birth, undergone 3 fresh IVF and 1 frozen cycles with only chemical
pregnancies.  Just finished our final IVF cycle -transferred 2
embryos on Dec 10 my first beta (12/24)was 287 (11dpt), 2 days
later(12/26)  my level was 776.  I am excited - yet just a bit
worried with my past ectopic history - can you tell me what you
thikn of these levels?  Also do early high levels of HCG relate to
downs at all?  Thank you for your time.

Answer
At 3-4 weeks from the first day of your last period, HCG values range from 500 - 10,000. Your values are a bit low, but have more than doubled and that is a good sign. I would not put too much stock in the predictive value of HCG values in relation to Down Syndrome. You should use nuchal transluscency studies or a combination of HCG, alphafetoprotein, and other chemical markers. Of course the only definitive method of diagnosis is by amniocentesis.