Patient's question:
My baby's birth weight was 8.8 jin. Then, the doctor told me that if the baby is overweight, it falls under the category of macrosomia. It's not the case that the heavier the baby, the better. Could you please tell me what weight is considered macrosomia for newborns?Doctor's answer:
Hello. Typically, a full-term fetus weighs more than 4000 grams at birth. We need to diagnose macrosomia. The most common cause of macrosomia is gestational diabetes. Diabetic patients are most likely to have macrosomic babies. However, even if the baby is sufficiently heavy, organ development may be slow. Despite being large, they may still experience respiratory distress syndrome and may need to be transferred to the neonatal department for further observation. Some mothers do not pay attention to dietary control during pregnancy, leading to fetal overnutrition, which can also cause macrosomia. In other cases, it may be due to genetic factors. Both parents are tall and have relatively high body weight, making it easier for them to give birth to tall and heavy babies. Regardless, any child weighing more than 4000 grams should be diagnosed as macrosomic. It is not always better to be heavier.