What is macrosomia?

Published by Charlie Davidson on 03/10/2019

What is macrosomia?

The term “fetal macrosomia” is used to describe a newborn who’s much larger than average. A baby who is diagnosed as having fetal macrosomia weighs more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces (4,000 grams), regardless of his or her gestational age. About 9% of babies worldwide weigh more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces.

Is macrosomia bad?

For the infant, macrosomia increases the risk of shoulder dystocia, clavicle fractures and brachial plexus injury and increases the rate of admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit. For the mother, the risks associated with macrosomia are cesarean delivery, postpartum hemorrhage and vaginal lacerations.

How common is macrosomia?

The average newborn baby weighs 7½ pounds at birth. But some grow much larger. In fact, there’s a technical term for babies weighing more than 8 pounds 13 ounces when they’re born. Called macrosomia, it affects around 8 percent of infants.

When can macrosomia be detected?

If your baby’s excess growth is thought to be the result of a maternal condition, your health care provider might recommend antenatal testing — starting as early as week 32 of pregnancy. Note that macrosomia alone is not a reason for antenatal testing to monitor your baby’s well-being.

What are the complication of macrosomia?

Significant maternal and neonatal complications can result from the birth of a macrosomic infant, and include prolonged labor, operative delivery, postpartum hemorrhage, perineal trauma, shoulder dystocia, birth trauma, chorioamnionitis, meconium aspiration, perinatal asphyxia, low Apgar scores, neonatal hypoglycemia.

How do you treat macrosomia?

Macrosomia is related to perinatal complications and the term fetus increases its body mass approximately 150-200g per week. Early term or 39-week induction of labor can reduce rates of macrosomia compared with expectant management, and therefore may decrease the complications of macrosomia.