Texas baby weighs in at 16 pounds, 1 ounce: There are health risks for big babies
This one’s big, even for Texas. The birth of a 16-pound, 1-ounce baby boy in Longview, Texas, on Friday may be the largest bundle of joy the state has ever seen. The baby boy, JaMichael Brown, measured 2 feet long and had a 17-inch chest, according to reports.
Doctors expected the baby to weigh 12 or 13 pounds, and even induced labor a week early. JaMichael is still at the hospital, say reports, and isn’t yet breathing by himself. Staff at the hospital are monitoring his blood sugar levels.
The boy isn’t the largest on the books—the Guinness record goes to a 23-pound, 12-ounce birth in Canada in 1879—but such a large weight is rare. Only about 1 in 1,000 newborns weighs in above 11 pounds.
For such large babies, the vaginal birthing process can damage the baby’s shoulders, and weighing more than about 9 pounds puts them at risk for breathing problems. And big babies might become children at risk for obesity and diabetes, according to an American Diabetes Assn. article.
JaMichael was delivered via Cesarean section. The baby’s obstetrician, Dr. John Kirk, told ABC News:
“He’s really only had some minor problems,” said Kirk. “We have made them aware of the possible complications down the road, but hopefully, they’ll continue to be under medical care and we’ll keep an eye on them.”
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