Among our grandmothers and mothers there is an opinion that a child born with great weight is a "hero", "strong man" and so on. In fact, this is not an indicator of good health. A large fetus during pregnancy is one of the pathologies that can lead to a number of complications for the health of a woman and a child, as well as problems during childbirth.
What is a large fruit?
In order to dispel the fear of expectant mothers and determine the concept of this pathology, we clarify that intrauterine development of a child is called a large fetus (or macrosomia) , which differs in indicators from normal development. With macrosomia, the development of the fetus is ahead of the norms established for a specific period. At birth, children with this diagnosis will weigh more than four kilograms. In addition to weight, the child’s height also increases. Normal is considered 48-54 centimeters. In children with macrosomia, growth is over 56 centimeters. Sometimes they are born even with the growth of 70 centimeters.
If at birth a baby has a weight of five or more kilograms, then this is called a "giant fetus." The birth of a giant child is a very rare occurrence that occurs once in a few thousand births.
A large fruit is accompanied by a number of risks that need to be known and which can be prevented in time.
Signs
Symptoms by which a woman may suspect that she has a large fetus may appear in mid-pregnancy. The abdominal circumference of the expectant mother increases markedly every day. It is worth noting that this may not always be a large child. Polyhydramnios, which is also quite common, can serve to increase the circumference of the abdomen.
During pregnancy, you need to clearly control your weight. This is precisely the indicator of a large child.
Pregnant Woman's Weight Gain Rate
| Until the 20th week | 700 grams per week |
| From the 20th to the 30th week | 400 grams per week |
| From the 30th to the 40th week | 350 grams per week |
In addition to its own weight, you should monitor the growth and weight gain of the baby. Modern ultrasound equipment provides such information.
The rate of increase in height and weight of the child
Gestational age by week | Mass of the child gram | Child's height, centimeters |
| 20th week | 320 grams | 25 cm |
| 24th week | 700 grams | 32 cm |
| 28th week | 1300 grams | 38 cm |
| 34th week | 2700 grams | 46 cm |
| 40th week | 3500 grams | 52 cm |
The gynecologist can make the most accurate diagnosis only closer to the beginning of the third trimester. It is during this period that one can judge by the circumference of the abdomen: if the waist of the expectant mother already exceeds 100 centimeters, then the doctor assumes the presence of a large fetus. After this, a pregnant woman is sent for an ultrasound scan to rule out polyhydramnios. In addition, a few weeks before the preliminary date of delivery, you need to conduct some more activities:
- find out the weight of the child on ultrasound;
- take a blood test for glucose tolerance and a mandatory visit to an endocrinologist;
- limit or cancel the use of anabolics (drugs aimed at enhanced formation and renewal of new cells and tissues);
- get rid of flour, sweet and other foods that have carbohydrates and fats;
- do therapeutic exercises every day.
Important advice for all expectant mothers! Do not start to panic and get upset if you learned from a big kid. It is important to correctly analyze the possible causes of a large fetus during pregnancy. If the reason is nutrition, exhausting yourself with diets is very dangerous for the baby and mom. In this case, excessive nervousness can lead to premature birth, which can also lead to a lot of consequences.
In addition, frequent nervous situations can affect the further psychological state of the child: he can be born very restless. In this situation, you need to trust the doctors and adhere to all recommendations impeccably.
Causes
It should immediately dispel the myth for people with a large physique. You can often hear that if the parents are not small, then why would a baby be born a three-kilogram baby. In this case, heredity does not play any role. The general type of figure is transmitted to the child much later. Therefore, if at the ultrasound the doctor said that the woman has a large fetus, this is not due to the complete physique of her or the child's father. The baby cannot inherit the dense constitution yet in utero.
The causes of a large fetus during pregnancy can be several factors, knowing about which in advance, you can prevent the risk of falling into this category.
Wrong food
One of the main reasons for a large fetus is overeating during pregnancy. Increased appetite is a normal occurrence. This is due to the fact that the child is growing and also requires food. In utero, the baby receives the necessary substances for growth from the mother’s food.
Very often, pregnant women face the problem of constant hunger throughout the day. Trying to drown him, the expectant mother constantly eats. This is what contributes to the weight gain of both the baby and the mother. As you know, it’s very difficult for mom to give up extra pounds after giving birth.
Therefore, in order for the child to not rapidly gain weight, the expectant mother should follow a diet. And with a feeling of hunger that will occur between meals of the main meal, it is worth choosing low-calorie foods for a snack. It can be vegetables, diet bread, yogurt, cottage cheese or fruits.
Medication
Due to individual characteristics, certain women are prescribed certain medications during pregnancy. If during pregnancy there are problems with preserving the baby or with insufficient utero-placental blood flow, special medications are prescribed to preserve the pregnancy. It is these drugs that can become the reason because of which a large fetus can develop. When using various drugs, the expectant mother is observed by a gynecologist, therefore, any changes are recorded and canceled if they affect the child’s development negatively.
Number of births
If a woman has not the first birth, then each subsequent child is born larger than the previous one. Although a large fetus during the first pregnancy also occurs.
Sedentary lifestyle
If a pregnant woman leads a sedentary lifestyle - this also causes excess weight in both her and the child. Of course, expectant mothers need a lot of rest, but in moderation. There is fitness for pregnant women. This is a great way to lead in moderation an active lifestyle, to keep fit, while not harming the child.
Diabetes
In some cases, during pregnancy, women have gestational diabetes. It may arise due to heredity. If someone had diabetes in the family, this can be transmitted to the expectant mother, since during the bearing of the child the body experiences severe hormonal disruptions.
Also, the cause of diabetes can be frequent viral and autoimmune diseases of the expectant mother. They affect the pancreas, which is responsible for the production of insulin in the human body.
Another reason for the occurrence of gestational diabetes mellitus may be the birth in the past of a child over 4.5 kilograms or stillbirth for unknown reasons.
Placenta location
If the placenta is attached to the posterior wall of the uterus, then the intake of nutrients is more active. Also, if it is thickened in its condition, it requires intensive intrauterine nutrition of the baby, which can cause a large fetus during pregnancy.
Postponed pregnancy
About a postponed pregnancy is said when a woman does not give birth within fourteen days after 40 weeks. It is during this period that the child most actively gains weight and increases in height. In addition, at birth, the baby has dry skin, long nails on the arms and legs, there is no original lubrication and already hardening bones of the skull.
Rhesus conflict
If the future mother has a Rh factor of blood, and a child has a Rh factor, then there can be many consequences. One of them is fluid retention in the fetal tissues, which affects the weight of the baby.
The cause of the Rh conflict can be the child’s inheritance of the father’s blood group. It can also occur if the expectant mother went through a procedure such as a blood transfusion.
The consequences of a large fetus
Not in all cases a large child can cause serious complications. But unequivocally the causes and consequences of a large fetus during pregnancy are accompanied by the features of bearing a child. The most serious complications that a woman can face will be in the last weeks of pregnancy: fainting, digestive problems and heavy breathing, constipation. The heavier the child, the greater the discomfort he gives mom. Pain may appear in the ribs and lower back, as well as varicose veins and fainting in a prone position. In addition, the appearance of stretch marks on the skin of the abdomen, unfortunately, is almost inevitable.
Based on the causes and consequences of a large fetus in a pregnant woman, the question is raised about the method of delivery. If the future mother has a narrow basin and the baby is large, then natural birth is not recommended. With a large fruit, a cesarean section is the most optimal choice.
If the baby is large, then during the natural birth there can be many consequences: birth injuries in the baby, fistulas and tears in the mother. If the fetus is only slightly higher than normal, then you should not insist on a cesarean section. Mom will be able to give birth on her own. Moreover, with the timely identified reason why the baby is ahead of development in utero, by the end of pregnancy, its growth can be adjusted.
The most important thing for a future mother is her child. Therefore, she should be calm, reasonable, listen to doctors and undergo all necessary medical research. Then the baby will be healthy, and mom will be happy.