The recent birth of a 16-pound infant has brought the problems related to giant babies to the fore. In response to scientists, there are specific aspects that increase the possibilities of moms giving birth to big babies.

The 16-pound baby was born to a mother in Brazil via cesarean section at Hospital Padre Colombo in Parintins, Amazonas State. Named Angerson Santos, the child was born two-foot-tall.

Such giant babies are said to have macrosomia, derived from the Greek word for big body. A baby born weighing greater than 8.8 kilos, gestational age notwithstanding, is alleged to have macrosomia, as per IFLScience.

For context, the traditional weight of newborn babies is often 7lb 6oz for boys and 7lb 2oz for ladies.

There’s a variety of things that increase the likelihood of a mother giving birth to a baby with macrosomia.

First, the burden of moms can affect the burden of newborn babies. Obese moms are twice as likely to have a newborn with macrosomia. Likewise, excessive weight gain while pregnant likewise increases the chance of macrosomia.

The second risk factor is gestational diabetes. Even in expecting moms without the condition, there’s a rise in insulin resistance. This factor increases the quantity of glucose that reaches the fetus through the placenta, resulting in the fetus growing inordinately in size. The condition also allows lipids (fats) to enter the placenta, which further helps increase the dimensions of the fetus.

Within the case of the 16-pound baby, doctors attributed macrosomia to the mother’s diabetes condition.

Parents’ age also plays a job in macrosomia. Older parents usually tend to have a baby with macrosomia. A mother of an age greater than 35 is 20% more more likely to have a baby with macrosomia. Similarly, a father of age greater than 35 increases the possibilities of macrosomia by 10%.

The possibilities of a baby born with macrosomia also increase with each successive pregnancy. Also, babies born after term or overdue pregnancies also increase the chance of a baby being macrosomic.

The gender of the child can be an element. Boys are 3 times more likely than girls to be born with macrosomia.

In response to previous data, babies born after 1970 are about 450g heavier in comparison with the babies born before that period.

In other news, an ingenious innovation of a wise glove that costs lower than $1 has been created with the aim to help clinicians during birth. “That is the primary glove of its kind that may very well be used to discover the fetal position and subsequently may have the ability to enhance labor outcomes,” Dr. Shireen Jaufuraully of University College London, lead writer on the study, said. “We hope that with successful clinical translation, the glove could also be used worldwide, increasing the security of assisted vaginal birth.”