High birth weight causes

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What is birth weight?

Birth weight is the first weight of your baby, taken just after being born. A low birth weight means that the baby is less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces. A high birth weight means that the baby is more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces.

What can cause low birth weight?

A baby with a low birth weight can be born too small, too early (premature), or both. This can happen for many different reasons. They include:

Health problems in the pregnant parent
Taking certain medicines during pregnancy
Substance use during pregnancy
Infections during pregnancy
Being pregnant with multiple babies
Problems with the placenta, the organ that brings oxygen and nutrients to the baby
Having small parents
Genetic conditions in the baby
Birth defects

What problems can low birth weight cause?

Babies with low birth weight may be more at risk of certain health problems. They include immediate problems, such as:

Breathing problems
Infections
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
Jaundice
Trouble keeping warm

There is also a higher risk of longer-term problems, including:

Delayed motor and social development
Learning disabilities
Certain health conditions as an adult, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity

What can cause high birth weight?

Causes of high birth weight can include:

Having big parents
Diabetes in the pregnant parent
Certain genetic conditions
Too much weight gain during pregnancy

What problems can high birth weight cause?

High birth weight can be a concern because it can make delivery of the baby difficult and raise the risk of birth injuries. The baby is at higher risk of problems with:

Blood sugar
Breathing problems
Jaundice

Can birth weight problems be prevented?

You may be able to prevent some birth weight problems by:

Getting regular checkups during pregnancy
Getting the right amount of nutrition and calories during pregnancy
Controlling your blood sugar if you have diabetes
Avoiding substance use during pregnancy

Growth and Your Newborn (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Tracking Your Baby's Weight and Measurements (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Intrauterine Growth Restriction (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR) (Nemours Foundation)

Fetal Macrosomia (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Large-for-Gestational-Age (LGA) Newborn (Merck & Co. , Inc.)
Low Birthweight (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) Also in Spanish

FastStats: Birthweight and Gestation (National Center for Health Statistics)

ClinicalTrials. gov: Infant, Low Birth Weight (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Infant, Small for Gestational Age (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials. gov: Large for Gestational Age (National Institutes of Health)

Article: Ambient temperature and term birthweight in Latin American cities.
Article: Neonatal head circumference by gestation reflects adaptation to maternal body size:...
Article: Risk scores for predicting small for gestational age infants in Japan:. ..
Birth Weight -- see more articles

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Also in Spanish
KidsHealth (Nemours Foundation)
March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation Also in Spanish

Macrosomia: Symptoms, Causes, and Complications

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Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M. D. — By Stephanie Watson on October 12, 2017

Overview

Macrosomia is a term that describes a baby who is born much larger than average for their gestational age, which is the number of weeks in the uterus. Babies with macrosomia weigh over 8 pounds, 13 ounces.

On average, babies weigh between 5 pounds, 8 ounces (2,500 grams) and 8 pounds, 13 ounces (4,000 grams). Babies with macrosomia are in the 90th percentile or higher in weight for their gestational age if born at term.

Macrosomia can cause a difficult delivery, and increase the risks for a cesarean delivery (C-section) and injury to the baby during birth. Babies born with macrosomia are also more likely to have health problems such as obesity and diabetes later in life.

Causes and risk factors

About 9 percent of all babies are born with macrosomia.

Causes of this condition include:

diabetes in the mother
obesity in the mother
genetics
a medical condition in the baby

You’re more likely to have a baby with macrosomia if you:

have diabetes before you get pregnant, or develop it during your pregnancy (gestational diabetes)
start out your pregnancy obese
gain too much weight while pregnant
have high blood pressure during pregnancy
have had a previous baby with macrosomia
are more than two weeks past your due date
are over 35 years of age

Symptoms

The main symptom of macrosomia is a birth weight of more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces — regardless of whether the baby was born early, on time, or late.

How is it diagnosed?

Your doctor will ask about your medical history and past pregnancies. They can check your baby’s size during pregnancy, however this measurement isn’t always accurate.

Methods to check the baby’s size include:

Measuring the height of the fundus. The fundus is the length from the top of the mother’s uterus to her pubic bone. A larger than normal fundal height could be a sign of macrosomia.
Ultrasound. This test uses sound waves to view an image of the baby in the uterus. Although it’s not completely accurate at predicting the birth weight, it can estimate whether the baby is too large in the womb.
Check the amniotic fluid level. Too much amniotic fluid is a sign that the baby is producing excess urine. Larger babies produce more urine.
Nonstress test. This test measures your baby’s heartbeat when he or she moves.
Biophysical profile. This test combines the nonstress test with an ultrasound to check your baby’s movements, breathing, and the level of amniotic fluid.

How does it affect delivery?

Macrosomia can cause these problems during delivery:

the baby’s shoulder may get stuck in the birth canal
the baby’s clavicle or another bone gets fractured
labor takes longer than normal
forceps or vacuum delivery is needed
cesarean delivery is needed
the baby doesn’t get enough oxygen

If your doctor thinks your baby’s size could cause complications during a vaginal delivery, you may need to schedule a cesarean delivery.

Complications

Macrosomia can cause complications to both the mother and baby.

Problems with the mother include:

Injury to the vagina. As the baby is delivered, he or she can tear the mother’s vagina or the muscles between the vagina and anus, the perineal muscles.
Bleeding after delivery. A large baby can prevent the muscles of the uterus from contracting like they should after delivery. This can lead to excess bleeding.
Uterine rupture. If you’ve had a past cesarean delivery or uterine surgery, the uterus can tear during delivery. This complication could be life-threatening.

Problems with the baby that may arise include:

Obesity. Babies born at a heavier weight are more likely to be obese in childhood.
Abnormal blood sugar. Some babies are born with lower than normal blood sugar. Less often, blood sugar is high.

Babies born large are at risk for these complications in adulthood:

diabetes
high blood pressure
obesity

They’re also at risk of developing metabolic syndrome. This cluster of conditions includes high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels. As the child gets older, metabolic syndrome can increase their risk for conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

Important questions to ask your doctor

If tests during your pregnancy show that your baby is larger than normal, here are a few questions to ask your doctor:

What can I do to stay healthy during my pregnancy?
Will I need to make any changes to my diet or activity level?
How might macrosomia affect my delivery? How could it affect my baby’s health?
Will I need to have a cesarean delivery?
What special care will my baby need after birth?

Outlook

Your doctor may recommend a cesarean delivery as necessary to ensure a healthy delivery. Inducing labor early so that the baby is delivered before its due date, hasn’t been shown to make a difference in the outcome.

Babies born large should be monitored for health conditions like obesity and diabetes as they grow. By managing preexisting conditions and your health during pregnancy, as well as monitoring the health of your baby into adulthood, you may be able to help prevent complications that can arise from macrosomia.

Last medically reviewed on October 12, 2017

Parenthood
Baby
06 Months

How we reviewed this article:

Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Gibson E, et al. (2015). Large-for-gestational-age (LGA) infant.
merckmanuals.com/en-pr/professional/pediatrics/perinatal-problems/large-for-gestational-age-lga-infant
Low birthweight. (n.d.).
stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=low-birthweight-90-P02382
Macrosomia. (2016).
winchesterhospital.org/health-library/article?id=223413
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2015). Fetal macrosomia.
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/fetal-macrosomia/basics/causes/con-20035423
Mohammadbeigi A, et al. (2013). Fetal macrosomia: Risk factors, maternal, and perinatal outcome. DOI:
10.4103/2141-9248.122098
Zamorski MA, et al. (2001). Management of suspected fetal macrosomia.
aafp.org/afp/2001/0115/p302.html

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Oct 12, 2017

Written By

Stephanie Watson

Edited By

Nizam Khan (TechSpace)

Medically Reviewed By

Karen Richardson Gill, MD

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Medically reviewed by Karen Gill, M.D. — By Stephanie Watson on October 12, 2017

Child weight control. Obesity and risk factors.

Height, body weight, head and chest circumferences are the main anthropometric measurements by which the pediatrician evaluates the physical development of the child. Weight gain and height standards are set by the WHO. However, they differ for breastfed and formula-fed babies: formula-fed babies gain weight faster than breastfed peers. Breast milk has an optimal composition, is better absorbed and contains substances that protect the baby from infections. nine0003

In this article we will touch on only one parameter - weight, as the most important indicator of a child's development.

The average weight of a full-term newborn is 2600-4500 g. In recent decades, there has been an acceleration of biological development, and therefore babies "get heavier": now it is not uncommon to give birth to 5-kilogram children.
Babies grow and gain weight very quickly. True, this does not happen immediately. In the first week, body weight may even decrease slightly (by 5-10%): the baby loses fluid. Then, during the first month, the child gains an average of 20 grams per day. Every day of the second month, this increase will be 30 grams. By the fourth month, the baby's weight doubles. nine0003

At the age of seven months, the baby gains 110-120 grams per week. Its weight, depending on individual characteristics, is from 8 to 8.5 kg, and sometimes more. At the end of the eighth month, your baby weighs about 9 kilograms. Until about the ninth month of life, the daily increase is 16-18 grams (for two weeks - approximately 250 grams). Over time, this figure will decrease. By one year, a child's weight triples relative to birth weight. From the age of 2 to puberty, the weight of the child increases by an average of 2 kg per year. nine0003

Overweight and obese children are increasingly common in today's society. This is especially important when you consider that overweight leads to such serious diseases as type 2 diabetes, diseases of the cardiovascular system, dysfunction of the gallbladder, pancreas.

Risk factors for the development of this condition are:

overeating
inactive lifestyle (physical inactivity).
nine0017

How to avoid overeating?

Don't force your child to eat - food cravings develop very early in babies. In the second year of life, the child begins to show independence in relation to food. He already wants to eat what he wants, and as much as he wants. Never force a child to eat more than he wants. Babies need far fewer calories than you think!
Do not offer food as a consolation to your child when he is sad or bored - this is how an increased attention to food and food addiction develop, the habit of "jamming" stresses. nine0017
It's also not worth making rewards or punishments out of food (“well done, here's some candy for you!”, “if you don't remove the toys, you won't get ice cream!”). Mindless chewing is a direct path to obesity.

In most cases, your child is a reflection of your own habits, although perhaps exaggerated. In his lifestyle, healthy or not, the baby obeys the example, both good and bad, of his parents.

How to deal with physical inactivity?

Discuss with your child the benefits of being active – your child needs to exercise at least 1 hour a day. The task of parents is to help the child choose the type of physical activity that he likes the most. It is better to diversify these exercises. It’s good if a child dances for one day, swimming for the second, and you can just play on the third. nine0017
Limit screen time! During the time that the child spends in front of the TV or computer screen, he will spend the minimum number of calories. Considering that the child sits both at school and at home, doing homework, it often turns out that the child sits all day. Help your child find the right balance between "sitting" and being active.
Set an example for your child! There is nothing more natural for a child than to follow the lifestyle of parents. If you prefer “forays” into nature, skating or cycling on the weekend, lying on the couch in front of the TV, the child will grow up in an “active” environment, where they have not heard of hypodynamia! nine0017

We hope that these tips will help you and your baby will be healthy and cheerful!

Author of the material: pediatrician of the clinic on Rodionovskaya Kolinichenko T. V. If this problem has not bypassed your family, we recommend that you take it thoughtfully and seriously. This article will help parents calculate if their child is overweight, understand what are the reasons for its occurrence. Let's talk about how to prevent obesity. nine0003

Many mothers and fathers admire the chubby cheeks, folds on the arms and legs of their little peanut. But the baby is growing up, and loving parents and compassionate grandmothers continue to intensively feed their beloved child with cakes, muffins, rolls, pies with various fillings and other goodies ... And now the child is gaining weight more and more, peers tease him in the kindergarten and school, calling him " kolobok”, “puffy”, “hamster”, “fat man”… A lot of moral and physical suffering has to be endured by children burdened with obesity or increased body weight. If this problem has not bypassed your family, we recommend that you take it thoughtfully and seriously. This article will help parents calculate if their child is overweight, understand what causes it, what are the potential complications. Let's talk about how to prevent obesity. nine0007

STATISTICAL DATA

Unfortunately, obesity in children is now a very common phenomenon. Statistics show that in Russia 30% of children aged 5 to 7 are already overweight and obese to varying degrees. Surveys show that only 30% of mothers make sure that their children have proper nutrition. In many families, there is an erroneous belief that a full child is a healthy child. Doctors note three critical periods (stages) when there is a particular risk and cases of obesity become more frequent: early age (from birth to 3 years), preschool age (from 5 to 7 years) and adolescence (from 12 to 16 years). ), this is an important stage of puberty and rearrangements in the body. nine0007

HOW TO CALCULATE A CHILD'S NORMAL WEIGHT

A child's body weight depends on sex, height, age, hereditary factors, diet, health status. In appearance it is difficult to tell if a child is well-fed or obese. I will give a special formula so that parents can calculate the normal weight from a year old to seven years old and decide on this issue. To calculate, you need to multiply the number of years of the child by 2 and add 8 to the product. And then compare the resulting number with the real weight of the son or daughter. But to say for sure whether parents should worry about the weight of the child or not, only a doctor can. Doctors have many special centile tables that take into account gender, age and height. Such tables allow you to accurately determine even the degree of obesity. And there are four degrees in total. Tables and updated norms for the height and weight of children, if desired, are easy to find on the Internet. nine0007

CAUSES OF OBESITY

Obesity in children is divided into alimentary and metabolic, depending on the cause of its occurrence.

Nutritional obesity occurs due to improper diet and sedentary (passive) lifestyle.

Metabolic (endocrine) obesity occurs due to the occurrence in the body of diseases of the endocrine glands - thyroid, pancreas, adrenal glands, ovaries (in girls).
nine0076
More precise causes of overweight are identified and established by a qualified specialist after examining the child, talking with his parents and receiving data from some examinations. But the reason can be assumed based on some signs associated with overweight:

When not only the child, but at least one of the parents is also overweight, it can be assumed that high-calorie foods prevail in the diet of this family, rich in fats and carbohydrates (sweets, pastries). This is just a case of alimentary obesity. nine0017
When a child spends a lot of time playing at the computer, watching movies on TV, moving little and hardly walking outside with other children, this indicates a clear imbalance between the energy received and spent.

In infants, excess weight appears with the introduction of improper complementary foods, replete with carbohydrates and lipids.

If the baby was already overweight at birth, and even added to this: developmental delay, late-formed ability to hold the head, sit, walk, teeth did not erupt for a long time, swelling often appears on the face, then you need to pay attention to the thyroid gland and its production of hormones. The described symptoms and obesity can be signs of hypothyroidism, that is, insufficient thyroid function. nine0017
The addition of muscle weakness, mental retardation, strabismus speaks of congenital genetic diseases, such as Down syndrome and other hereditary pathologies.

If an obese student has poor academic performance, complains of drowsiness, fatigue, dry skin and constipation, this may be due to a lack of iodine in the body and malfunction of the thyroid gland.

When fat is deposited mainly on the face, neck and abdomen, with the appearance of purple stretch marks, the cheeks are bright pink, and the arms and legs are thin, then the adrenal glands and the amount of glucocorticoids should be checked. nine0017
Sometimes obesity occurs after bruises, concussions and inflammation of the brain (encephalitis, meningitis), then it is necessary to examine the pituitary gland. This gland controls the work of all other glands in the body. The lack of work of the pituitary gland can also be the cause of obesity. Symptoms of increased pressure inside the skull indicate a brain tumor, and because of this, there are also disturbances in metabolic processes.

As you can see, only additional examinations and tests can help identify the cause of obesity. nine0003
POSSIBLE COMPLICATIONS

Is it dangerous for children to be overweight? Yes, obesity can lead to the emergence of such serious diseases that are not at all characteristic of childhood and adolescence:

hypertension, atherosclerosis, angina pectoris, heart failure;

sleep is disturbed - there are occasional pauses in breathing, snoring;

fatty hepatosis, most often leading to cirrhosis of the liver, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, constipation, hemorrhoids;
nine0016 a lot of weight "presses" on the bone skeleton, leading to joint deformity, destruction of cartilage, pain in the knees, flat feet;
insulin deficiency leads to type II diabetes mellitus;

such children and adolescents have few friends, they are forced to be in social isolation, experience a lack of communication, they are not understood, offended, which can lead to depression and alcoholism in their later life;

in women who are overweight from an early age, there is a greater risk of infertility. nine0017

BASIC DIAGNOSIS METHODS

To identify the exact causes of overweight, the doctor can give a referral for tests and examinations:

blood test for the amount of glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and other indicators that will indicate the presence or absence of liver disease, diabetes mellitus;

analysis of urine and blood for the amount of hormones is done in cases where the doctor suspects that the child has diseases of the endocrine system;
nine0016 To exclude pituitary diseases or tumor processes, the doctor prescribes magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography, MRI and CT for short.

HOW TO PREVENT MY CHILD TO BE OVERWEIGHT?

Of course, the fight against obesity is a long process, it depends on the reasons that the doctor establishes in contact with the child and his parents. In the future, it is necessary to strictly follow all the recommendations of the doctor to achieve a stable result. The main principles of treatment include an individually selected diet, feasible physical activity, lifestyle changes, in some cases, drug treatment or surgery. nine0003

As a rule, a nutritionist, taking into account the characteristics of the child and age, gives parents all the necessary recommendations on dietary nutrition, calculating how much fat, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals a small patient needs. Even the mother of a baby up to a year old, who is already overweight, the pediatrician will advise which cereals and infant formulas to introduce into complementary foods, and which ones should be discarded for now. From an early age, teach your chubby baby to food that has a little sugar in it. As a sweetener, it is useful to use a plant - stevia. Vegetables are welcome in the diet (zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, green beans, carrots), greens, fruits with a low content of sugars and calories (currants, blueberries, raspberries, sea buckthorn). Less often cook potatoes, flour dishes. Pasta is sometimes allowed, but from coarse wheat varieties. In some cases, switching to a separate diet helps to reduce weight. For example, fish and a cutlet are served not with the usual mashed potatoes, but with a side dish of seasonal vegetables. Do not forget about bran, which improves digestion and eliminates unnecessary from the intestines. Try to limit overweight children in cookies, sweets, chocolate cakes, ice cream and other sweet confectionery goodies. A growing body constantly needs lean meat (veal, poultry), lean fish and cottage cheese. But sour cream and cream can be given only occasionally. Eliminate refractory fats from the diet - pork, mutton fat, margarine. All this is poorly absorbed by the body and is deposited “in reserve”. Salads are best seasoned with vegetable oils. Teach your baby to eat slowly, chewing well. When you take your time, you feel full faster. Give food to an obese child 5-6 times a day, but in small portions. Breakfast is required in the early morning, it will charge you with energy and vigor, it is more rational to eat high-calorie meals in the morning, and light food is useful in the evening. Do not feed your child at night, it is appropriate to arrange dinner 3 hours before bedtime. nine0017
It is impossible to lose weight without physical activity. Parents should try to find activities for the child that will be interesting and useful to him. It can be swimming, aerobics, athletics, football, tennis, gymnastics or other sections. Organize a lot of outdoor games, it is even desirable that they be held outdoors - in a forest, park, outdoor stadium. Parents themselves should be an example for the child. You can run the whole family along the alley, go cycling, go to the pool, play badminton or volleyball on the banks of the river in summer, or ski in the snowy forest. It combines a lot of pleasant experiences and a set of measures to improve health. nine0017
An overweight child is in great need of support and understanding from parents. A friendly atmosphere in the family is also important. When a child has complexes about being overweight or there are symptoms of depression, it is advisable to consult a psychotherapist or a good psychologist. Often the cause of extra pounds is psychological in nature.

Drug therapy. Many adults resort to drugs to reduce appetite and lose weight. But there is still little data on the effect of these drugs on a child's or teenage body. Therefore, doctors at the moment are trying not to prescribe serious drugs to small patients. If the cause of obesity is endocrine disorders, then diet, the use of healthy foods and medicines in the diet will help correct the functioning of the endocrine glands. nine0017
Surgery is started if the cause of weight gain is a pituitary tumor that needs to be removed. And only in extreme cases, in which it is vital to perform surgical treatment of obesity in a child, they resort to this method. And the branch of surgery that deals with such operations is called bariatrics.

It is very important that parents understand that they should not overfeed their beloved child. Proper nutrition and active lifestyle will help to avoid obesity.
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