Longview (Texas) – Local press reported a Texas mum giving birth to a 7.3kg baby boy. The newborn, named JaMichael, was delivered by Caesarean section to parents, Janet Johnson and Michael Brown on Friday. Baby JaMichael broke the local hospital’s weight records and exceeded the predictions made by doctors prior to his birth.
Proud mother, Janet Johnson, told the Longview News-Journal: ‘We’re just amazed. I can’t believe he’s that big. A lot of the baby clothes we bought for him will have to be returned. They’re already too small for him to wear.’
Even the hospital had trouble outfitting the newborn. They had problems finding diapers that would fit him. Local news also reported that the baby’s large size was due to his mother’s gestational diabetes during her pregnancy. This condition causes a pregnant woman to become resistant to her body’s own insulin and instead pass a higher amount of it to her baby who stores the extra calories as fats.
JaMichael spent his first few days of life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to regulate his blood but is scheduled to move to a regular nursery by today. Guiness World Records says the heaviest newborn ever recorded tipped the scales at an astounding 10.43kg, born to an Ohio woman in 1879.
According to KidsHealth.org, the average weight of a full-term newborn is usually between 2.8kg to 4.2kg. At 7.3kg, JaMichael is easily about three times the size and weight of an average infant.
Tell us what you think of big newborns like JaMichael. Have you given birth to a baby who is bigger than average? Share with us your story.
Source: AFP, The Straits Times
Photo credit: Reuters