16-Pound Baby Born In Texas
The average weight of a newborn baby is about 7 1/2 pounds, which is why it's shocking -- even in Texas -- that a woman has given birth to a 16-pound baby boy.
Two feet tall at birth, JaMichael Brown is the biggest baby ever born in the state of Texas.
"A lot of the stuff we bought him is too little," mother Janet Johnson told The Today Show.
The nurse who helped deliver JaMichael said there are health implications for an infant this large.
The medical term for large infants is "macrosomia," literally meaning "large of body." These babies often have high blood sugar at birth, and a greater chance of obesity or diabetes later in life, doctors say.
How big is possible cause for concern? According to Babycenter.com, over 9 pounds and 15 ounces is considered "much larger than average."
From Babycenter:
Probably the most influential factors are genetics and unmanaged high blood sugar levels from gestational diabetes or diabetes mellitus. Other factors believed to increase risk include ethnicity (Hispanic women are more at risk), obesity, gaining a lot of weight during pregnancy, going past your due date, and even your baby's sex -- male babies are more often than females.
Two feet tall at birth, JaMichael Brown is the biggest baby ever born in the state of Texas.
"A lot of the stuff we bought him is too little," mother Janet Johnson told The Today Show.
The nurse who helped deliver JaMichael said there are health implications for an infant this large.
The medical term for large infants is "macrosomia," literally meaning "large of body." These babies often have high blood sugar at birth, and a greater chance of obesity or diabetes later in life, doctors say.
How big is possible cause for concern? According to Babycenter.com, over 9 pounds and 15 ounces is considered "much larger than average."
From Babycenter:
Probably the most influential factors are genetics and unmanaged high blood sugar levels from gestational diabetes or diabetes mellitus. Other factors believed to increase risk include ethnicity (Hispanic women are more at risk), obesity, gaining a lot of weight during pregnancy, going past your due date, and even your baby's sex -- male babies are more often than females.
