Written by Editorial Team
Everything is a wonder when it comes to newborns. In the same way, there are even many unexpected events that may happen that you never know. A Baby’s birth weight is an essential factor that needs attention. That’s why, throughout the pregnancy, your baby’s weight is monitored. Have you heard the term Fetal Macrosomia?
The healthy weight gain of the fetus indicates the normal progression of pregnancy. Both underweight and overweight fetuses point to the underlying potential issue. Here we are going to talk about the weight of the newborn.
In This Article
Usually, newborn babies are around 7 pounds of weight. When the fetus’s estimated weight is higher than 90% of the standard weight of fetuses in the same gestational age, it is fetal macrosomia. This is a severe health condition that needs to be treated. Babies with this medical condition weigh more than 9 pounds.
The causes for fetal macrosomia includes:
If this medical condition is in your family history, then the doctors predict that there are chances for the reoccurrence. Also, big parents tend to have big babies. So be careful and discuss the same with your doctor well in advance.
It could be because of maternal health issues, well. Gaining too much weight during pregnancy can also trigger fetal macrosomia. Genetic factors like obesity or diabetes could be a reason. If the parents are having these problems, then the chances are more for this health condition for the newborn.
When pregnancy goes past the due date, the risk of fetal macrosomia increases. Therefore, be clear with the due dates as the pregnancy is scheduled for a couple of weeks after the due date will have the risk of fetal macrosomia.
Yes, the baby’s gender matters. Babies who have this complication weigh more, and the fact is that most of them are boys. Also, males weigh more than female infants.
Doesn’t know the case of the age-old pregnancies where mothers used to give birth to a dozen children in a lifetime. However, the doctors suggest that for each pregnancy, the risk of fetal macrosomia is going on increasing. The weight of every successive child is increasing to 4 ounces. So be careful while you are planning for the next pregnancy while your first child is already born of excess weight.
There are many moms to be who suffer from diabetes after getting pregnant. In this case, they should be taking the right medications and precautions for the safety of the child and their health. There are even many women who have diabetes and get pregnant. In both cases, there shouldn’t be any problem if proper medication and the right treatments are taken.
If the mother is obese and then pregnant, then there are chances for this medical condition. On the other hand, if your first baby is affected by this fetal macrosomia, the doctors suggest that these mothers must be cautious with their next pregnancy.
Sometimes, in the absence of any of the above reasons, fetal macrosomia happens. Women who get pregnant after 35 years are more at risk of experiencing fetal macrosomia. More research is happening in this field to explain the reasons for this excess birth weight. Many scholars are researching in this regard, and they are trying to come up with the right solution so that there won’t be any newborns or mothers suffering.
It is challenging to diagnose fetal macrosomia during pregnancy. However, these are considered as few symptoms.
If there is an excess of amniotic fluid, then this could be the sign of an increase in the baby size during the pregnancy. The amniotic fluid is used to measure the urinary output of the child. If this is more, then there are chances to predict the size of the baby.
The fundal height is even something that is measured during prenatal visits. If the fundal height is larger than expected, then it is a sign of fetal macrosomia.
Measuring the baby’s size during pregnancy is the only way to diagnose this issue. However, it is not practical to find out the exact weight of a baby in the womb. All the same, some procedures help your practitioner to evaluate your baby’s size.
With this health condition, there are equal risks both for the baby and the mother. Here is the list of the complications that one must be aware of.
There will be chances for labor problems, and in this regard, the baby must be taken with the help of the forceps or with a vacuum device. C section is suggested in this regard.
Other risks comprise:
Treatment depends on the cause. If it is diabetes that triggered this condition, keeping the blood sugar under control is the best way to prevent further complications. In many cases, C-section can be considered a treatment.
Why, because, even though normal vaginal delivery is not totally impossible, apparently, the vaginal delivery necessitates the use of birth-assisting tools. This, in turn, increases the chances of birth injuries. Also, fetal macrosomia increases the risk of shoulder dystocia (the shoulder of the baby got stuck behind the pelvic bone during delivery).
You can’t always prevent this fetal condition. However, some measures will help to bring down the chances of fetal macrosomia.
Let’s wrap it up
There are proper medical procedures to figure out fetal macrosomia in the early stage itself. So, it is without any sort of fear, go for the pregnancy, and give birth to a healthy and happy child.
With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.
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