Large For Gestational Age Is Used To Describe Newborn Babies Who Weigh More Than Usual For

Large for Gestational Age is used to describe newborn babies who weigh more than usual for
the number of weeks of pregnancy. Babies may be called large for gestational age if they weigh
more than 9 in 10 babies (90th percentile) or more than 97 0f 100 babies (97 percentile) of the
same gestational age. Babies born earlier than 40 weeks are considered LGA at lighter weights.
Babies born after 40 weeks are considered LGA at slightly higher weights. Overall, babies born
in the U.S. in recent years weigh a little more than they used to. Normal ranges for birth weight
may also be different, based on ethnic background.
Causes:
 Some babies are large because their parents are large. Parents may pass along this trait
to their children.
 A high birth weight can also be related to the amount of weight a mother gains during
pregnancy. Women who gain a lot of weight during pregnancy often give birth to babies
who are large for gestational age.
 Diabetes in the mother is the most common cause of babies who are large for
gestational age. When a pregnant woman has high blood sugar, she can pass that along
to her baby. All the extra sugar and the extra insulin that is made can lead to fast growth
and deposit of fat. This means larger baby. It also means a risk for low blood sugar right
after birth. At that point, the mother’s supply is no longer there, but the baby’s insulin
levels stay high.
Stanford Children’s Health (n.d.), Large for gestational age. Retrieved from
https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=large-for-gestational-age-90-P02383
on February 4, 2020
Incidence:
 Excessive fetal growth (macrosomia, being large for gestational age) is found in 9% to
13% of all deliveries and can lead to significant complications in the perinatal period
(Gregory et al, 1998; Wollschlaeger et al, 1999).
 For U.S. Births in 2015, approximately 7% of infants had birth weight >4,000g, 1% had
birth weight greater than 4,500g, and 0.1% had birth weight greater than 5,000g.
 Race
o Macrosomia occurs with higher frequency in newborns of Hispanic origin.
Because Hispanic women have a higher incidence of diabetes during pregnancy,
part of the preponderance of macrosomia in this ethnic group is due to the
higher incidence of diabetes in pregnancy. However, even when corrected for
diabetes, Hispanic mothers tend to have larger newborns.
 Sex
o Male infants are more likely to be macrosomic than female infants. Male infants
are generally approximately 150 - 200 g larger than female infants of the same
gestational age near term.
Baur, A. R., et al, 2017. Macrosomia. Retrieved from
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/262679-overview#a4 on March 12,2020
Factors:
 Maternal factors associated with macrosomia during pregnancy include increasing

parity, higher maternal age, and maternal height. In addition, the previous delivery of an
infant with macrosomia, prolonged pregnancy, maternal glucose intolerance, high pre-
pregnancy weight or obesity, and large pregnancy weight gain have all been found to
raise the risk of delivering an infant with macrosomia (Mocanu et al, 2000).
Rebecca Simmons, in Avery's Diseases of the Newborn (Ninth Edition), 2012. Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/large-for-gestational-age
RISK FACTORS
 If a baby is too large to fit through the birth canal easily, birth can be difficult. Problems
at birth may include:
o Long time for delivery
o Difficult birth
o Injury to the baby, such as a broken collar bone or damaged nerves in the arm
(brachial plexus)
o Increased need for a cesarean section delivery
 Many large babies are born to mothers with diabetes. Poor control of blood sugar may
cause problems such as:
o Low blood sugar in the baby in the first several hours after birth
o A higher risk for birth defects
o Trouble breathing
 Babies who are large for gestational age may also be more likely to have yellowing of
the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes (jaundice).
 The reason for excessive growth of the fetus varies but primarily results from an
abundance of nutrients combined with hormones in the fetus that stimulate growth. In
pregnant women who have diabetes, a large amount of sugar (glucose) crosses the
placenta (the organ that provides nourishment to the fetus), resulting in high levels of
glucose in the fetus’s blood. The high levels of glucose trigger the release of increased
amounts of the hormone insulin from the fetus’s pancreas. The increased amount of
insulin results in accelerated growth of the fetus, including almost all organs except the
brain, which grows normally.
References:
Robert L. Stavis, PhD, MD, 2019, Large-for-Gestational-Age (LGA) Newborn. Retrieved from
https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/children-s-health-issues/general-problems-in-
newborns/large-for-gestational-age-lga-newborn
Rebecca Simmons, in Avery's Diseases of the Newborn (Ninth Edition), 2012. Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/large-for-gestational-age
Stanford Children’s Health (n.d.), Large for gestational age. Retrieved from
https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=large-for-gestational-age-90-P02383
on February 4, 2020

Large For Gestational Age Is Used To Describe Newborn Babies Who Weigh More Than Usual For

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Large For Gestational Age Is Used To Describe Newborn Babies Who Weigh More Than Usual For

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Large For Gestational Age Is Used To Describe Newborn Babies Who Weigh More Than Usual For

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Large for Gestational Age is used to describe newborn babies who weigh more than usual for

 Maternal factors associated with macrosomia during pregnancy include increasing

You might also like