A 7.3 kg baby was born in Brazil. It's because of macrosomia: What is this condition?

A mother in Brazil recently gave birth to a two-foot-tall baby weighing 16 lb (7.3 kg). Angerson Santos was born via caesarean section at Hospital Padre Colombo in Parintins, Amazonas State. Angerson eclipsed the heaviest  baby girl on record, who was 15 lb (6.8 kg) when she was born in 2016, but neither come close to the heaviest baby on record , who tipped the scales at a whopping 22 lb 8 oz (10.2 kg), in Italy in 1955. To put this in perspective,  newborn boys typically weigh 7 lb 6 oz (3.3 kg) and girls 7 lb 2 oz (3.2 kg). The term used to describe these giant babies is  macrosomia (Greek for large body). Any baby that weighs more than 4 kg, regardless of its gestational age, is said to have macrosomia. Babies with macrosomia account for about 12 per cent of births. In mothers with gestational diabetes (high blood sugar that arises during pregnancy), this increases to between 15 per cent and 45 per cent  of births. Increased risk Certain factors increase the risk of a mother giving birth to a giant baby – one of them being body weight. Obese mothers are  twice as likely  to have a newborn with macrosomia. And excessive  weight gain  during pregnancy likewise  increases  the risk of macrosomia. Gestational diabetes is a risk factor, too. (The doctors at Hospital Padre Colombo put Angerson’s large size down to his mother’s “ diabetes condition ”.) Some of it is linked to an increase in  insulin resistance  in the mother during pregnancy (even in those without gestational diabetes), which increases the amount of glucose that travels across the placenta to the foetus, helping the foetus to grow excessively. The condition also helps  lipids (fats) to enter the placenta , providing the baby with more fuel for growth. Being older when pregnant also increases the odds of having a baby with macrosomia. A maternal age  greater than 35 makes it 20 per cent more likely that the baby will have macrosomia. The father’s age counts, too. A paternal age greater than 35 increases the risk of macrosomia by 10 per cent. Previous pregnancies increase the risk of macrosomia because with each successive pregnancy,  birth weight  increases. 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 . Having a boy increases the likelihood of macrosomia. Boys are  three times  more likely than girls to be born macrosomic. Harms during birth Babies with macrosomia are more likely to encounter difficulties moving through the birth canal because of their large size. For example, it is quite common for the baby’s shoulder to get caught behind the mother’s pubic bone. The medical term for this is “shoulder dystocia”. While the baby is stuck,  it cannot breathe  and the umbilical cord may be squeezed. It can also cause the baby’s  collarbones to break  or  damage  the brachial plexus nerves that supply the arms – in the most severe cases, this damage can be permanent. Shoulder dystocia occurs in about  0.7 per cent of all births , but in macrosomic babies, the incidence is  about 25 per cent . Mothers are also at  increased  risk of  vaginal tear  during delivery, which then  increases the risk  of postpartum haemorrhage (bleeding). Postpartum haemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide, and hence the larger the baby, the greater the risk of damage during normal vaginal delivery. Macrosomia of newborns also leads to an  increased risk  of a prolonged second phase of labour, which is when the cervix is fully dilated and the baby’s head moves into the vagina. Due to  the size  of macrosomic babies, this movement can be slower than usual which can increase the risk of the mother suffering from  infection, urinary retention and haematoma  (internal bleeding). One thing we don’t know about macrosomic babies is whether they stay bigger throughout life. The limited data there is does exist suggest that they are  more likely  to be overweight or obese by the age of seven and are also more likely to develop  type 2 diabetes  in later life. We may see more “giant” babies being born as those born after 1970 appear to be about  450 g heavier  than their pre-1970s counterparts. Similarly, with increasing rates of obesity, which is a major factor in the development of macrosomia, we will probably see more “giant” babies. This article is republished from  The Conversation  under a Creative Commons license. Read the  original article . Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .