What is Macrosomia?

About Macrosomia:

• The term used to describe giant babies is macrosomia (Greek for the large body). Any baby that weighs more than 4kg, regardless of its gestational age, is said to have macrosomia.

What are the factors that cause Macrosomia?

• The mother’s body weight: Obese mothers are more likely to have children with Macrosomia.
• Mothers with gestational diabetes: High blood sugar that arises during pregnancy, this increases to between 15 per cent and 45 per cent of births.
• Being older when pregnant also increases the odds of having a baby with macrosomia.
• Overdue pregnancies: Those that run past the typical 40 weeks – also increase the risk of a baby being macrosomic, particularly at 42 weeks or more.
• Previous pregnancies increase the risk of macrosomia because, with each successive pregnancy, birth weight increases.  

Impacts of Macrosomic baby

• Shoulder dystocia– which may cause permanent harm to shoulders. While the baby is stuck, it cannot breathe and the umbilical cord may be squeezed.

Mothers are also at increased risk of vaginal tears during delivery, which then increases the risk of postpartum haemorrhage (bleeding)

Q1) What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. 

Source: Two-foot-tall infant weighing almost 8kg, born in Brazil: Get to know macrosomia, the condition that creates gigantic babies   

‹ ›