The weight of a baby just born is the main indicator of his overall health. That is why doctors pay special attention to this factor, fixing it one of the first in the newborn’s medical book. And it is no coincidence that young mothers are so much interested in the question of what weight is considered normal at birth. In addition, women in childbirth should also know what this indicator depends on, what may cause underweight or excess weight, and how to avoid weight problems in the baby in the future. Many also wonder: what is the normal weight of a baby at birth, depending on the gender of the baby? You will find answers to all these questions here.
Everything you need to know about the weight of the newborn
The normal weight of the baby at birth ranges from 2.5-4.5 kg. It should be borne in mind that newborn boys usually have a slightly larger body weight. So, the normal weight of a child at the birth of a girl can be a maximum of 4 kg.
If the body weight is less than 2.5 kilograms, then in this case the baby has a deficit. Hence, difficulties with nursing a child may arise, perhaps special nutrition and appropriate conditions for normalizing weight may even be required. Such babies are not considered premature, but their stay in the hospital can nevertheless be somewhat delayed. Now, young mothers most often give birth to babies with normal and even excess weight. But babies who have a shortage in the mass, usually catch up with their peers in this regard by the age of six months.
What determines the weight of the baby after birth?
The weight of the newborn is influenced by many factors. The reasons why children are born with too much body weight can be as follows:
- Heredity. So, parents who are overweight are more likely to have large-sized children. Slender parents have the opposite situation.
- Second, third and subsequent birth.
- Delayed childbirth (prolonged period).
- Improper diet, consumption of too high-calorie and heavy foods during pregnancy.
- Diabetes mellitus (acquired and hereditary).
- Different Rh factor. If the mother has Rhesus positive and the baby is negative, then a Rhesus conflict may occur, which often leads to weight gain by the baby in the womb.
Deficit body mass in babies: causes
- Bearing two, three or more fruits at the same time.
- Diseases of the cardiovascular and urinary systems (including infectious), chronic lung diseases in women in labor.
- Uterine diseases, defects in the placenta, poor coagulation of the mother.
- Poor nutrition of the expectant mother during pregnancy, adverse climate and ecology.
- Smoking and drinking alcohol in excess of permissible limits (in most cases, alcoholic beverages should be completely excluded).
- Caffeine intake in high doses.
Nutrition and its effect on the weight of the newborn in the early days
The normal weight of a baby at birth in the first 24 hours of his life may decrease by about 150-200 grams. Such an indicator is appropriate if the baby appeared with a weight of 2.5-4.5 kg. This is the normal birth weight of a baby. It is considered permissible and absolutely natural to reduce it by a maximum of 300 grams. This is due to the fact that the edema gradually disappears in the newborn, and the intestines are freed from what has accumulated in it. After birth, the baby has not yet established a diet, and this also has an effect on body weight.
Normalization of the baby's weight occurs already on the fifth day. On the tenth day, body weight begins to increase regularly, depending on nutrition. Young mothers who are breastfeeding should not panic if the baby is recovering too slowly. The fact is that on artificial feeding, babies gain mass several times faster than on the mother. This is due to the presence in the purchased mixtures of various nutrients and components that allow the newborn to develop more quickly.
Normal birth weight is not uncommon in our time, but modern medical centers allow nursing infants weighing just one kilogram. Such babies are born with a weakened immune system, they are completely inactive and lethargic, so in the first days of life they need more attention and care. According to statistics, a year later, thanks to the help of doctors, babies become stronger, their weight normalizes, and in their development they are not at all behind their peers.
Overweight and underweight: danger
Insufficient body weight of the fetus, however, as well as its excess, can be observed even in the womb. If weight deficiency is diagnosed in the late stages of pregnancy, then in this case, a young mother is prescribed a special diet rich in essential vitamins and minerals. Caloric intake is also determined by the attending physician.
If the fetus is overweight, this is also not a good indicator and is considered a deviation. Doctors are wary of this, since an overweight baby may indicate a violation in its development, and in most cases give a parturient mother some recommendations. Most often, she is prescribed a balanced diet, in which low-fat dairy products, vegetables and fruits predominate. Fatty delicacies, sweet pastries and other flour products should be completely excluded from the menu, smoked meats and too high-calorie dishes are also taboo.
In addition to malnutrition, often overweight in a baby already at birth may indicate the presence of diseases of the endocrine system in mother.
What is dangerous overweight baby for the health of the expectant mother
An important point: overweight baby can harm not only the newborn, but also his mother. Before birth, this can lead to complications in a woman already in the process of childbirth. The most common of them is perineal rupture. In order to avoid such injuries, women in labor are prescribed to have a cesarean section. After birth, such a baby may require increased attention.
During the first year, parents should constantly monitor the development of their child. By the way, the normal weight and
height of the child at birth partially guarantee that his health at that time will be positive. In addition, with excess or deficient body weight in babies, completely different complications can develop.
The danger of underweight newborn
Imagine that a child has already been born, and consider the problem of normalizing weight during the life of the baby. In children born with low weight, there is a violation of thermoregulation. As a result, babies freeze faster, and they need much more time to warm themselves and restore the temperature balance. Such children are more prone to various diseases and colds, since in most cases they have reduced immunity. Hypovitaminosis and anemia are another frequent companion of children with underweight.
What excess body weight of a newborn can lead to
It was always believed that the more the weight of a born child, the more healthy it will be. Especially often this is what they say about boys - they say a real hero will grow up! This assumption is fundamentally wrong, because the normal weight of a child at the birth of a boy should be up to 5 kg.
Perhaps in the first years of life, a baby born with a larger mass will be less likely to get sick than his peers. However, in the future he may have serious problems. These include allergies, a lag in physical development (since the child will have difficulty in managing his body), as well as misunderstanding on the part of friends (which in the future may cause the development of mental disorders).
Regular weight control is the key to proper development
The normal weight of the child at birth is, of course, excellent, but in the future, parents can, without noticing it, feed the baby (or vice versa). Avoiding problems in this regard is not only possible, but even necessary at the initial stage of child growth. First of all, it is necessary to carefully develop a diet, discussing and clarifying all the nuances with a specialist. In the future, you need to constantly monitor the growth and weight of the baby.
However, there is one “but”: if the child’s health status is stable even if there is excess weight (within acceptable limits), then parents should not worry about this. The main thing is that the child feels well and in this weight he is comfortable. In this case, young parents can simply consider their child moderately well-fed and robust and not take any action on the path to weight loss.