Thursday, June 25, 2009

Big Baby and Birth Defects

ultrasound baby
A newborn infant that weighs more than 8.8 pounds (4,000g) or more is considered a full-sized or macrosomia baby. Some of us might view these big babies as cute and healthy but in medical view, it is already considered as a birth defect. An obese or overweight pregnant mother might deliver a macrosomic baby because the fetus is being overfed with excess amount of sugar coming from the mother and this sugar will convert into a body fat.

Women with pregestational diabetes may disturb the forming development period of baby’s vital organs if the amount of blood sugar was uncontrolled during the first few weeks of pregnancy. A mother with diabetes during pregnancy may also deliver a macrosomic baby. Most birth defects can be identified during the first half of the pregnancy with ultrasound studies and prenatal diagnostic tests.

Health experts warn women to be aware on their body weight and blood sugar during pregnancy. Otherwise, the mother may suffer an increase risk of injury which can be more difficult as well for the baby. Before going into a vaginal delivery, obstetricians perform an ultrasound to estimate the fetal weight for safety. It is frightening and risky if the big baby will be going out from a mother with diabetes because the baby’s shoulder will get stuck through the birth canal. As a result, the mother may experience trauma and deliver the child through cesarean.

Pregnant women can minimize the risks of delivering a baby with birth defects by visiting regularly to a licensed physician or midwife for prenatal care. Women should undergo oral diabetes medications, in order to optimize blood sugar control during pregnancy. To prevent big baby and birth defects, women's health should be well take cared of during pregnancy.


1 comments:

Anonymous said...

When you write posts like this, please be clear and accurate. Scaring women does not improve birth outcomes. Macrosomia is usually not a problem by itself. The root cause of macrosomia (such as diabetes) is the problem.

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