He was born last January in Brazil a giant baby who, without even breaking records, understandably became news. All children are special to their mothers. However, this one, called Anderson Santosspecial for everyone, as he weighed no more and no less 7.3 kg. In addition, he measured almost 60 centimeters. This is a case of what is known as fetal macrosomia. That is high birth weight.
He didn’t break records because a baby was born at the top in 1955 in Italy With 10.2 kg. Yes, he overcame the largest case of macrosomia in girls, corresponding to a 6.8kg baby born in India in 2016.
Be that as it may, it has sufficient features to be considered a case of macrosomia, since this name is considered from 4 kg of weight. Fortunately, everything worked out, and after a caesarean section, he and his mother are healthy. However, the situation could be worse, because giant baby to the world carries numerous risks for both.
The dangers of having a giant baby
In general, a case of fetal macrosomia is considered to be the birth of a child weighing more than 4 kg, regardless of the weeks of gestation. However, as the Mayo Clinic explained, the risks are starting to escalate. from 4.5 kg.
And there is for both mother and child, as he explains well in the article for Talk Teacher Adam Tylerfrom Lancaster University. First, a giant baby may be suffering from something called shoulder dystocia. This happens when the large size of the shoulder is pinched behind the mother’s pubic bone. in a trap I can not breatheTherefore, if urgent measures are not taken, serious problems can arise. In addition, your collarbone may crack due to strain from passing through the birth canal. Even the nerves that innervate the arms can be damaged. Shoulder dystocia can occur in any child, regardless of their weight. However, for now occurs in 0.7% of births at a weight considered normal, in children with macrosomia, the percentage is 25%.
As for mothers, the birth of a giant baby can also affect them in different ways. On the one hand, they are easier vaginal tears and bleeding. This is not a minor issue as postpartum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide. On the other hand, it can also lengthen work. Since the passage of the baby’s head into the vagina is slower, infection and internal bleeding.
Risk factors and detection of macrosomia
There are risk factors that greatly increase the chance of having a giant baby. Let’s start with one of the most important Diabetes during pregnancy. Women who suffer from this tend to have a higher insulin resistancek. This means that more glucose passes through the umbilical cord, so the baby can grow faster. Moreover, if the mother also has big weightnot only does this happen, but more fat can pass through, further increasing this size.
The age of the parents also plays a role. It has long been noted that cases of macrosomia are higher in women. over 35 years old. However, in recent years it has been observed that the likelihood also increases if the father is older than this age. Perhaps this is why it has been proven that since the 1970s, children weigh almost half a kilo more than half. With childbirth being increasingly delayed, it’s no surprise that this average continues to rise.
Finally, as is logical, if birth occurs after 40 weeks pregnantit is more likely that it is a giant baby, since They will continue to grow until the moment of birth..
Now, can you know before birth if the baby will have macrosomia? Actually yes. In fact, from the Mayo Clinic, they explain that this can be predicted in advance by measuring two factors. On the one hand, when measuring base height. This is the distance from the top of the uterus to the pubic bone. If it is very large, it may be a sign of macrosomia. On the other hand, this can also be found by analyzing amount of amniotic fluid. The older you are, the higher your baby’s birth weight will be.
In short, besides being newsworthy, having a giant baby can be dangerous, for him and mom. Therefore, you should avoid excessive weight gain during pregnancy, maintain good physical activity and watch your diet. It would also be ideal to have it before the age of 35. But in the society in which we had to live, we cannot ask for a pear from an elm. Control over some factors is not in our hands.
Source: Hiper Textual
