Khaberni - Baby Cassian is the talk of the hour on the internet, born earlier in 2025 in the United States with a weight of 5.8 kilograms, but it was not until his mother and the hospital recently announced the news that headlines about this "giant" child spread around the world. Among these headlines: "Are you okay?": A woman breaks record with giant baby: A record-breaking baby nearly doubles the average size of a newborn.
Although baby Cassian was born heavier than average, he is not the only one. There have been other examples in the news of children born heavier. This includes a child born in Brazil in 2023 weighing 7.3 kilograms.
These stories may lead women around the world to wonder. But how common are heavy-weight babies, and does their birth always lead to complications?
What is a heavyweight baby?
According to "Medical Express", the term "giantism" is used for babies who are born weighing more than 4 kilograms or 4.5 kilograms, depending on the definition.
Perhaps the term "large for gestational age" is more accurate, as it uses the number of weeks of pregnancy alongside the weight in estimating the size of the newborn.
Estimates indicate that the birth rate of large babies ranges between 9 and 10% of births.
What are the problems with birthing a large baby?
We do not know the specific circumstances of Cassian's birth, his health, or the health of his mother Shelby Martin. We also do not know if the common reasons for large babies apply in this case.
In general, the complications of childbirth are higher for mothers and children when the baby is large, especially if its weight exceeds 4.5 kg.
However, this is not always the case. The need for interventions during childbirth, such as forceps or vacuum delivery, or cesarean sections, increases as the baby's size increases. These interventions can affect a woman's recovery after birth and her future birth options.
For the baby, the risks of shoulder entrapment in the birth canal during delivery (known as shoulder dystocia) increase.
Obstetricians may also need to perform additional maneuvers to ensure the baby's safe birth. For example, they may have to try to lower one of the shoulders if it is stuck behind the mother's pubic bone.
These maneuvers can harm the baby or lead to a lack of oxygen, which requires resuscitating the baby. However, these complications are rare and may occur when the baby is not particularly large.
What causes the large size of a baby?
According to the "Independent", large babies are often healthy babies, and there are several reasons for the large size.
Genetic factors mean that babies are always large in some families.
Children who are overdue tend to be slightly larger because they have more time to grow inside their mothers' wombs.
Mother's diabetes, especially if not well-controlled, can lead to larger babies. This is because high blood sugar levels in the mother lead to the child getting more energy than needed, which is stored as fat.
The risk of obesity and diabetes in the future increases for children of mothers who get diabetes for the first time during pregnancy (gestational diabetes).
Mothers who are overweight before or during pregnancy are more likely to have larger babies. This is mostly due to an increased likelihood of developing diabetes during pregnancy, and possibly due to poor nutrition.
Can the weight of a large baby be predicted?
Estimates of babies' weights before birth are inaccurate. For this reason, many women are told they will have a large baby and it does not happen, while others are surprised by a large baby at birth.
Midwives and obstetricians usually examine the growing womb during prenatal examinations.
They look at the position of the fetus in the womb, in addition to comparing the top of the womb to the woman's navel. This gives an idea of whether the fetus is growing as expected at that time.
There are other measurements of the pregnant body that contribute to estimating the size of the baby.
On the other hand, ultrasound is not a good indicator of actual weight at birth.
What can women do?
The best healthcare advice for women is to try to maintain a healthy weight before pregnancy. Follow a balanced diet and limit the intake of foods and drinks high in saturated fats and sugars.
And be careful not to gain too much weight during pregnancy, and exercise regularly.
