Question
My baby weighed eight pounds and eight ounces at birth. Then the doctor said that since the baby was overweight, it was considered macrosomic. It’s not that the heavier the better. How much does a newborn weigh to be considered macrosomic?
Answer
Typically, a full-term infant weighs more than 4000 grams at birth. We need to diagnose macrosomia. The most common cause of macrosomia is gestational diabetes. Diabetic mothers are most likely to have macrosomic babies. However, macrosomic babies may be sufficiently heavy but have slow organ development. Although large, they may still suffer from respiratory distress syndrome and may even need to be transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit for further observation. Some mothers do not pay attention to dietary control during pregnancy, leading to excessive nutrition in the fetus and causing macrosomia. Others may have genetic factors; both parents are tall and have a larger body weight, making it more likely to give birth to tall and heavy babies. In any case, any child weighing over 4000 grams should be diagnosed as macrosomic. It’s not that the heavier the better.