What causes a high birth weight?
Some babies are large because their parents are large; genetics does play a part. Birthweight may also be related to the amount of weight a mother gains during pregnancy. Excessive weight gain can translate to increased fetal weight. By far, maternal diabetes is the most common cause of LGA babies.
What is the definition of LGA?
Expand Section. Large for gestational age (LGA) refers to a fetus or infant who is larger than expected for their age and gender. It can also include infants with a birth weight above the 90th percentile.
What is defined as low birth weight?
A term used to describe an infant born weighing 5.5 pounds (2500 grams) or less. A low birth weight may occur when an infant is born too early (premature). These infants may have an increased risk of serious health problems.
Why are high birth weights bad?
Contradictory to the findings of a lower risk of CHD in children born with high birth weight, babies are more likely to be born large-for-gestational age in mothers with diabetes, increasing the risk of diabetes and CHD later in the children’s life (18).
What is healthy birth weight?
The average birth weight for babies is around 7.5 lb (3.5 kg), although between 5.5 lb (2.5 kg) and 10 lb (4.5 kg) is considered normal. In general: Boys are usually a little heavier than girls. First babies are usually lighter than later siblings.
What is LGA weight?
At a gestational age of 40 weeks, boys who weigh more than about 9 pounds 4 ounces (4.2 kilograms) are large for gestational age (LGA). Girls who weigh more than about 9 pounds 1 ounce (4.1 kilograms) are LGA. Doctors use published growth charts or computer apps to evaluate babies at other gestational ages.
What is the normal birth weight?
Is a high birth weight good?
Risks associated with fetal macrosomia increase greatly when birth weight is more than 9 pounds, 15 ounces (4,500 grams). Fetal macrosomia may complicate vaginal delivery and can put the baby at risk of injury during birth. Fetal macrosomia also puts the baby at increased risk of health problems after birth.
Is higher birth weight better?
Weight, of course, may partly be an indicator of broader fetal health, but it seems to be a meaningful one: The chunkier the baby, the better it does on average, all the way up to almost 10 pounds.
What makes a baby have low or high birth weight?
Preterm birth: If your baby is born before completing 37 weeks inside you,then he will most likely be underweight
Why is a low birth weight bad?
Babies born with low birthweight may be more likely than babies born at a normal weight to have certain health conditions later in life, including: Diabetes Heart disease High blood pressure Intellectual and developmental disabilities. Metabolic syndrome. Obesity.
What is the best birth weight for a baby?
The average baby weight at birth is about 7.5 pounds, but anything between 5.5 and 10 pounds is considered normal too. Your baby has a low birth weight if he/she weighs less than 5 pounds. If your baby’s weight at birth is more than 8 pounds, he/she is larger than normal and is referred to as macrosomia .