10 Facts To Know About Your Baby's Weight

Wednesday, February 24, 2016, 15:12

Each baby is unique in its own way. From your baby's first day, doctors try to keep track of the head size to the baby's weight.

Growth is essentially an indicator of general health, and babies who look healthy and growing well are termed to be in good health.

Birth weight is the first weight of your baby and it is taken into consideration right after his or her birth. Birth weight is the area where most parents wish that their children are born of the average weight.

Most parents want their baby to have an average birth weight. An average birth weight is taken as the clear marker for general health.

Moreover if the baby’s birth weight is too low, then the parent would fret that their little one is ill or isn’t healthy. And in case the baby’s weight is too high, still most mothers would worry about their baby being obese.

There are some facts that most pregnant women, who are awaiting the birth of their little one, should know about. If the baby has a high birth weight, then it would be around or more than 8.8 pounds, while a low birth weight will be less than 5.5 pounds.

And in case your little one has a poor growth, then it is a sign of a problem that may be underlying. Here are some facts that you need to know about your newborn.

Normal weight

An average baby usually weighs about 7.5 pounds. Yet the range of normal is between 5.5 and 10 pounds. There are several facts that come into play about birth weight. It is usually about the mother's own diet and weight during pregnancy that can have an impact on the baby's weight.

If the mother is overweight, then there are chances of having a heavier baby. If the mother doesn't try to acquire enough nutrients during pregnancy, then the baby may be born smaller.

Low birth weight

A low birth weight baby would look too petite or too early (premature). There are many reasons why your baby may have a low birth weight. Your little one may be small, as he/she may have inherited a medical condition (which could run in your family).

Health problems

A low birth baby weight is definitely a cause of concern. This generally happens due to different reasons such as health problems that are persistently present in the mother or genetic factors, or problems present within the placenta. These are some of the facts that you need to know about your baby's weight when born.

Average weight at birth

An infant must have an average weight at birth of around 3.3 kg or say somewhere closer to 7 Ib 4 oz. And if there is an elimination of fluids, then the weight would get reduced to 10% within a week of the birth.
Moreover, there are chances of the newborn regaining the requisite weight by 2 weeks. The little one can regain the weight sooner if it he/she is bottlefed rather than being fed breast milk.

Problems with the placenta

If there is a problem with the placenta (pre-eclampsia), then it reduces the blood flow to the baby. This would restrict the chances of the baby's growth. The baby will not be getting enough oxygen or nutrients to absorb.

Size of the parents

Size of the parents matters with the birth weight of the baby too. Heavier and tall parents would rather have larger than average newborns. On the other hand, if the parents are short and petite, then they would have smaller than the average birth weight newborn.

Health problems of the mother

If a mother has high blood pressure or heart problems, then these things can lead to a lower birth weight. Even if the mothers regularly smoke during pregnancy or consume alcohol or illegal drugs during the time of pregnancy, it can have an impact on the baby's birth weight.

Gender differs

The facts that you need to know about your babies weight is that gender differs. Usually girls tend to be smaller than boys when born. Boys are usually larger. Interestingly, there are no drastic differences in gender and it is only slightly found at birth.

Nutrition matters

Good nutrition is a requisite for a baby's growth in the uterus and also beyond. If the mother has a poor diet during pregnancy, it can have an effect on the baby's birth weight and also the baby's future growth. If the mother gains weight during pregnancy, the baby in all probability can be born bigger than the normal weight.

Multiple births

If there is going to be multiple birth say twins, triplets or more, then the babies born will be smaller. Having multiples can be problematic, since there is not much room for growing space in the uterus.
This is one of the reasons why multiples are often born early and are small in size during their birth. These are some of the facts that you need to know about a baby's weight when born.