Macrosomia is the medical term for babies born with an above-average weight. This condition can make the delivery process more difficult and dangerous for both mother and baby.
In general, babies are born with a weight of 2.6–3.8 kilograms. However, in some conditions, babies can be born weighing more than 4 kilograms. Babies born with this large size are called macrosomia.
Macrosomia can make normal delivery more difficult. Not only that, babies who have macrosomia are also at high risk of suffering from several health problems later in life, such as obesity and diabetes.
Causes of Macrosomia
Macrosomia can be caused by several things, such as heredity, health problems in the mother during pregnancy, and impaired fetal growth.
In addition, there are several other factors that can also increase the baby's risk of developing macrosomia, including:
- Being overweight or obese during pregnancy
- Suffering from gestational diabetes
- Suffering from hypertension during pregnancy
- Have a history of giving birth to a baby with a large weight
- Over 35 years of age when pregnant
- Conceiving a baby boy
Not only that, macrosomia is also more at risk for babies who are not born even though 2 weeks have passed from the due date (HPL).
Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of Macrosomia during Pregnancy
Signs and symptoms of macrosomia are often difficult to recognize. An examination by an obstetrician is needed to determine whether the fetus is growing normally or has macrosomia.
There are two things that can be used as a sign that the fetus has macrosomia, namely:
Uterine fundal height is higher than normal
The uterine fundus is the highest point of the uterus measured by the distance between the top of the uterus and the pubic bone. If the distance exceeds the normal limit, there is a possibility that the fetus has macrosomia.
Excessive amniotic fluid
Amniotic fluid can be one of the signs to detect macrosomia, because it can show how much urine is excreted by the fetus. The more urine that comes out, the more likely the fetus is to have macrosomia.
In addition to the two signs above, the doctor can also perform an ultrasound examination to monitor fetal development and determine whether the fetus has macrosomia or not.
Macrosomia Complications in Mother and Baby
The following are some of the complications of macrosomia that may occur to the mother and baby during delivery:
1. Shoulder dystocia
Babies with macrosomia are at risk for shoulder dystocia when delivered by normal delivery. This condition occurs when the baby's head has managed to come out, but the shoulder is stuck in the birth canal.
Shoulder dystocia can cause a baby to suffer fractures, nerve injury, brain damage, and even death.
2. Vaginal tear
Giving birth to a baby with too much body weight through the vagina can cause damage to the birth canal, such as tearing the vagina and the muscles between the vagina and anus.
3. Bleeding after childbirth
Damage to the vagina after giving birth to a baby with macrosomia can make it difficult for the muscles around the vagina to contract to close the birth canal again.
The birth canal that is not properly closed can cause the mother to experience excessive postpartum bleeding.
4. Uterine rupture
Uterine rupture is a condition when the uterine wall tears during childbirth. Although rare, uterine rupture can cause the mother to experience postpartum hemorrhage.
Not only that, uterine rupture can also cause fetal distress or fetal distress This indicates that the baby is deprived of oxygen during delivery. The birth of a baby needs to be sought as soon as possible if it is known that there is a fetal distress condition.
Babies who have macrosomia are generally more difficult to be delivered vaginally, because it can cause various complications, both for the mother and the baby itself.
Therefore, if the doctor states that your fetus is large and is at risk of complications during vaginal delivery, the doctor may recommend a Caesarean section as a method of delivering the baby.
In addition to complicating the delivery process, babies with macrosomia are at high risk of suffering from several health problems later in life, such as obesity, abnormal blood sugar levels, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
How to Prevent Macrosomia
To prevent the occurrence of macrosomia, you are advised to maintain the health of yourself and your fetus in the following ways:
- Do regular pregnancy check-ups to the obstetrician
- Eating healthy and nutritious food during pregnancy
- Maintain a healthy weight gain during pregnancy, which is around 11–16 kilograms
- Controlling blood sugar levels, if you have diabetes
- Be active during pregnancy by exercising regularly or doing daily activities
Macrosomia does carry quite a number of risks and complications, both for the baby itself and for the mother. However, this can be minimized with good and thorough preparation before and during pregnancy until before delivery.
If you are pregnant with a large baby, try not to panic and keep regular check-ups with the doctor. In this way, the doctor can monitor the condition of the fetus and plan the safest delivery method for you and your baby-to-be.
