They Grow 'Em Big in Colombia: Page Three

They Grow 'Em Big in Colombia: Page Three

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Continued from They Grow 'Em Big in Colombia, PAGE 2.

Why are babies so big in Colombia? Pediatrician Dr. Cara Natterson weighs in:

There are several reasons why a baby might be on the big side:

• A baby might be big because his mother and father are constitutionally big. (One of my 4-month-old patients weighed 24 pounds, but both his parents were tall.)

• The baby's mother had gestational diabetes. When a pregnant mother's blood sugar is higher than it should be, a fetus can grow too fast.

• The baby has hypothyroidism (though this is almost always diagnosed on the newborn screen done just after birth).

• The baby has a genetic syndrome like Prader Willi.

• The baby gains weight too rapidly in the first few months of life because they are overfed. They don't know how to stop themselves from drinking and every time they cry, they are fed.

We often think big is better, but not in this case. Larger newborns face many challenges:

• Large babies often have to be delivered by Cesarean-section because it can be dangerous (for mother and child) to attempt vaginal delivery.

• Big newborns are also at risk for having complications right after delivery. It is not uncommon for a big baby to experience a rapid drop in blood sugar, showing symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

• These big newborns often grow to be big infants. They can have trouble achieving gross motor milestones--like lifting the head while laying on the tummy or rolling over--because there is a lot of weight to heave. Some big newborns slim down to become average (or even below average) weight as they begin to mobilize, roll, crawl and walk. Others take longer to master these skills, gaining even more weight along the way because of their low-exertion lifestyle.

Did you give birth to a big baby? Comment below.

2 comments so far | Post a comment now >>

both my sons were over 10 pounds at birth and I did NOT have GD and they didn’t have ANYTHING wrong with them at all. Some of us just grow BIG babies.

- Anonymous

Posted 09/03/08 11:07 PM

My family has bigger babies. I’m the youngest of 6…the babies ranged from 7 lb range (for two my mom says came after beatings) to almost 10.5 lbs. My mom, sister, and I all had right around 9.5 lb first babies. My sister & I were both diagnosed with GD with our first pregnancy, (I was around 100-105 lbs when I got pregnant and gained about 45 lbs & was on insulin). I have 4 children: 9lb 7.5oz;7lb 10oz…I was considered borderline GD & had been jostled badly in a backroad car trip earlier that day (she also had allergies/asthma & possibly some other problems); diet-controlled 9lb 4oz; and my son I didn’t have any diabetes concerns, but oh how my back hurt (his position aggravated an old injury)…he was 9lb 8.2oz. I love big babies by the way! They want out and help (in my experience) and then are just happier as infants. My kids were nowhere near what they are referring to in the article, but I laughed when I read about the slower on milestones (lifting head)…my son was laying on me at the hospital and a friend visited me, she was amazed because he was hours old and pushed up and looked around trying to see her. They all were ahead of schedule on milestones, especially the bigger ones. PS They were all born naturally (I had pitocin only for the first & last though), and I breastfed them.

- Sharon

Posted 09/04/08 09:37 AM