Babies Online - The Blog

In the United States, many doctors refuse to deliver a baby weighing more than 9 and a half pounds through a vaginal birth. Some midwives report delivering perfectly healthy 10-pound babies, naturally – it can be done.

But there was little question or debate that Ani, of Jakarta, Indonesia, would need a cesarean section to deliver her 19.2-pound, 24.4 inch, baby boy. The child, as yet unnamed, is the largest baby to be born in the country and the third heaviest in the world.

The largest baby ever born was delivered in Canada in 1879 and weighed 23 pounds, 12 ounces and measuring 30 inches, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. He died 11 hours after birth, however. The largest baby to survive infancy was born in Italy in 1955, weighing 22 pounds, 8 ounces.

Gestational Diabetes to Blame

Reports say the baby grew so large because of the mother’s gestational diabetes. Ani was rushed to the hospital in the ninth month due to complications of the pregnancy. Gestational diabetes, if left unchecked, may result in macrosomia (excessively high birthweight, above the 90^th percentile), neonatal hypoglycemia, jaundice and, in rare instances, stillbirth.

A Difficult Delivery

A gynecologist involved in Ani’s son’s delivery said the c-section birth was a difficult process. Removing the baby without damaging the mother’s uterus was a challenge since his legs were so large. In spite of this, Ani’s baby was born healthy — and extremely hungry. He had minor breathing problems at first and received oxygen, but recovered quickly. Doctors reported that he wanted to eat constantly, and his cries were much louder than the smaller babies beside him in the nursery.

Some Perspective on his Size

My daughter was born (at 41 weeks and 3 days gestation!) weighing only 6 lbs. 4 oz. Today, she tips the scales (and those birth charts some doctors like to bandy about) at a whopping 17 lbs., putting her in the 5^th percentile for weight… and smaller than Ani’s newborn son! The newborn, measuring 24.4 inches long, is practically toddler-sized.

His measurements put him in size 12-month clothes already, so he skipped four clothing sizes (five if you count the hard-to-find “newborn” size). If he continues growing at the rate of most infants, he’ll be wearing 3T before he’s a year old. In all likelihood, however, his growth will level out and, while he may remain large, will drop into the 95^th percentile or less for his age within a few months.

In the meantime, Ani and her family, which includes three other children all born naturally in midwife-assisted births, simply has more of him to love.

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Posted by Dawn Allcot on Monday, September 28th, 2009 at 12:54 pm and is filed under News.
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Tags: 19.2 lb. baby boy born, Ani, Indonesia, large baby, largest baby
Posted in: News