The weight of the baby at birth is one of the great concerns of mothers and fathers during pregnancy. From the first weeks of gestation, the length and weight of your baby are controlled, since any extreme measure could indicate a health problem in the baby or in the mother. In addition, the weight of the baby at birth constitutes a starting point to know if your development is being adequate.
A newborn baby usually weighs between 2400 and 420o g. There is a lot of variation depending on the length of the pregnancy, the health conditions during the gestation or the constitution of the parents.
What does the weight of a baby depend on at birth?
Parent size
Tall, large parents tend to have larger-than-average babies, while parents who are shorter and stout tend to have smaller babies.
Duration of pregnancy
A full-term baby is considered when it is born between weeks 37 and 42. In almost a month of difference a baby can grow a lot, so a baby born in week 42 will surely be larger than one born in 37, although both are considered full term.
Mother's nutrition during pregnancy
Good nutrition during pregnancy is essential for the baby to develop properly. Poor nutrition can affect the development and health of the baby.
Mother's health during pregnancy
If the mother has had high blood pressure, heart problems, or has used alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs, her baby may have low birth weight. On the contrary, obesity or diabetes can lead to the baby being born with a high weight.
How do you know if your baby's weight is correct?
There are some graphs of percentiles that establish what is the usual weight and size according to the age of the babies. With them you can compare the baby with those of the same age and know if it is within normal parameters. If it is above or below, the cause must be studied since it could be something normal in its development or there could be some reason that should be investigated and solved.
Note that in the first week it is normal for your baby to lose up to 10% of their birth weight. This is due to the fact that they eliminate the accumulated fluids in the maternal uterus and their first poop. But don't worry, in a couple of weeks your little one will have regained his weight.
Very high or low weight babies (less than 2500g or more than 4500g) need special monitoring in case there are any problems.
Younger babies may not be getting enough nutrition, so they need more frequent feedings and greater attention to their body temperature, as well as controlling their pee and poop to know if they are eating correctly
In older babies, blood sugar levels need to be checked as you may not regulate them well and suffer hypoglycemia. For this reason they also need to be fed frequently.