What factors can affect my baby's birth weight?

Описание: You wanted to know what factors are going to affect the birthweight of your baby. And one of the biggest factors is the gestational age a baby is born at. If a baby is born at 32 weeks, then they’ll weigh less than a baby that’s born at 40 weeks, and that’s just because it depends on how long they’ve been in there cooking, or how long they’ve had time to grow. Another factor is genetics. And in some cases, let’s say a dad weighed 10 pounds and a mom weighed 7 1/2 pounds when she was born, and so you wonder how much is the baby going weigh? Is it going to be an average of the two, or more like mom, or more like dad? And really, you don’t know whose genes that baby got, and so you won’t know until they’re born.

Besides the point in pregnancy a baby is born at, and the weight of the parents, and their genetics, there are many other factors that affect a baby’s birthweight. Some, you can modify or do something about, and others, you can’t. A couple of modifiable factors include maternal diet. For example, if a mother doesn’t eat enough or get the nutrients that she needs during the pregnancy, then the baby may weigh less than other babies at their same gestational age. If the mother consumes alcohol or smokes tobacco, then the baby is also likely to be at a lower birthweight.

One of the things that a woman can’t control is her age. And teenage mothers are more likely to have smaller babies, and women, 35 and older, are more likely to have larger babies. Other things outside of the mother’s control include genetic disorders that the baby may have that affect their size, the health of the placenta, and also the health of the mother. Sometimes there are conditions the mother may develop, like preeclampsia, that affect the growth and size of the baby. Maternal diabetes is another condition that can affect the size of a baby. If a mom has type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, or gestational diabetes and her blood sugars aren’t well-controlled during the pregnancy, then the baby is likely to be large for their gestational age.

If you have more specific questions about your circumstances and the size or well-being of your baby, talk with your OB provider and they’ll be able to give you tailored information and advice based on their knowledge of your circumstances. If you have more questions in the future for me, feel free to ask them on our Intermountain Moms Facebook and Instagram pages, and recommend us to your friends and family too.