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.