Experts reveal worrying risk factor for older children after viral ‘giant’ newborn baby

Baby boy Cassian is an internet sensation. He was born earlier this year In the United States the weight is 5.8 kg. But after his mother and the hospital recently shared the news, it didn’t take long for headlines about the “giant” baby to spread around the world.

These include:

While baby Cassian was born heavier than average, he’s not unique. There are other examples of babies being born with heavy birth weights in the news. This also includes a baby born in Brazil in 2023 who weighed 7.3 kg.

These stories can bring women all over the world to their feet. But how common are big babies, and does their birth always cause complications?

What are big kids?

Macrosomia describes infants weighing more than 4 kg or 4.5 kg, depending on the definition.

A large baby can also be defined as having birth weight greater than 90 percentile at a particular gestational age.

In other words, more than 90% of babies at this particular stage have low birth weight. pregnancyThe term “large for gestational age” is probably a more accurate term because gestational weeks are used in conjunction with weight.

There has been little overall change in the percentage of large babies in Australia over the past decade. While stories of such births do appear in the media, their proportion remains around 9–10% of births.

What are the problems for older babies and their mothers?

We do not know the specific circumstances of Cassian’s birth, his health, or his mother. And we don’t know whether the usual causes of larger babies are relevant in this situation.

But, generally speaking, birth complications for mothers and babies may be greater when the baby is larger, especially more than 4.5 kg. However, this is certainly not always the case.

The need for intervention during birth increases, such as forceps or vacuum delivery, or cesarean section, the larger the baby is. Having these interventions can impact a woman’s recovery after birth and her options for the next birth.

There is a higher risk for the baby’s shoulders to become trapped in the birth canal during birth (called shoulder dystocia).

Midwives and gynecologists may also need to make extra efforts to ensure safe delivery of the baby. For example, if one of their shoulders is stuck behind mom’s pubic bone, they may need to try to bring it down.

These maneuvers can harm the baby or cause oxygen restriction, requiring the baby to be resuscitated. However, these complications are rare and may occur when a larger baby was not expected.

What is the reason for having a big child?

Older children are often healthier children, and there are many reasons for this.

Genetic factors mean that in some families children are always larger.

Babies who are past their due date grow slightly larger because they have more time to grow in their mother’s womb.

Happen diabetesEspecially if it is not controlled properly, it can lead to the birth of large babies. This happens because the baby receives more energy than he needs due to the mother’s high blood sugar, so he stores this extra energy as fat.

Infants of mothers diagnosed with diabetes for the first time pregnancy Gestational diabetes increases the risk of developing obesity and diabetes in the future.

Mothers who weigh more before pregnancy or while pregnant may also be more likely to have larger babies. The main reasons for this are the increased likelihood of developing diabetes in pregnancy and possibly poor nutritional choices.

Can you predict the big baby?

Estimating babies’ weight before birth is imprecise. This is why many women are told they are going to have a big baby and don’t, and others are surprised by it when a big baby arrives.

Midwives and obstetricians routinely feel a woman’s growing uterus when they perform prenatal examinations. They’re looking at where the baby is lying in the uterus as well as where the top of the uterus compares to the woman’s navel. This tells you whether your baby is growing as you would expect.

They also measure from the top of a woman’s abdomen to the top of her pubic bone with a tape measure. The weeks of pregnancy usually correspond to measurements within a few centimeters.

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For example, at week 36 of pregnancy, the tape measurement will be between 34 cm and 38 cm. If there is a difference of more or less than 3 cm between the measurement and the number of weeks of pregnancy an ultrasound will be offered to see how the baby is growing and to estimate the size.

But ultrasounds are poor predictors of actual birth weight. The Big Baby Trial was published earlier this year. It randomly assigned nearly 3,000 women in the United Kingdom to be induced at 39 weeks if they were suspected of having a large baby (according to ultrasound) or to wait until labor began.

There were very small differences in birth weight or poor outcomes such as shoulder dystocia in the baby, which led to the trial being stopped early. Approximately 60% of babies screened as large were actually not large at birth, reflecting the inaccuracy of ultrasound in predicting birth weight.

What can women do?

The best health advice for women is to try to keep a healthy weight (BMI under 30) before getting pregnant.

Eat a balanced diet and limit your intake of foods and beverages rich in saturated fat and sugar. Try not to gain too much weight during pregnancy Exercise regularly. Talk to your midwife or obstetrician for advice and support about this.

If you have diabetes, or if it has been diagnosed during pregnancy, it is important to closely monitor your blood sugar and baby’s growth.