Context:
Recently, a mother in Brazil gave birth to a two-foot-tall baby weighing 16lb (7.3kg).
Relevance:
Facts for Prelims
Dimensions of the Article:
- Macrosomia
- Impacts of Macrosomic Babies
Macrosomia
- Macrosomia is a term used to describe large babies, weighing more than 4kg.
Causes of Macrosomia
- The mother’s body weight: Obesity in mothers increases the risk of having a macrosomic baby.
- Gestational diabetes: Mothers with gestational diabetes are more likely to have a macrosomic baby.
- Age of the mother: Women who are older when they get pregnant have an increased risk of having a macrosomic baby.
- Overdue pregnancy: Pregnancies that run past 40 weeks, particularly at 42 weeks or more, increase the risk of a macrosomic baby.
- Previous pregnancies: Having a history of previous pregnancies increases the risk of having a macrosomic baby.
Impacts of Macrosomic Babies
- Shoulder dystocia: A macrosomic baby can get stuck in the birth canal, which may cause permanent harm to their shoulders and prevent them from breathing.
- Increased risk for the mother: Macrosomic babies increase the risk of vaginal tears during delivery and postpartum hemorrhage.
-Source: The Economic times
