Problems That Can Occur if Your Fetus is Too Large

Being overweight during pregnancy turns out not only to be experienced by mothers. The fetus can also experience it, you know! This fetal condition is called large for gestational age (LGA), which is a fetus that has a size above the average based on gestational age and sex. To find out the size of the fetus during pregnancy, one way to be done by a doctor is to measure the height of the uterus. This measurement is done by measuring the distance between the pubic bone and the top of the uterus. Usually, this measurement starts when the gestational age enters 20 weeks. At 20 weeks' gestation, the normal height of the uterus is around 17-23 cm. If the uterus is 3 cm higher than the normal size, it can be suspected that the fetus is too large.

Causes of Large Fetus

There are several conditions that can cause large fetuses, namely:

1. Pregnant women who suffer from diabetes

Gestational diabetes or diabetes during pregnancy is the most common cause of large fetuses. High blood sugar levels in the body of pregnant women will make sugar intake to the fetus through the placenta is also high. This results in the size of the fetus will increase rapidly.

2. Genetic factors

Most of the cases of large fetuses are caused by genetic factors. So, women who have a family history of large babies or have had large babies are more at risk of having a large fetus in subsequent pregnancies.

3. Pregnant boys

Male fetuses are also more likely to be large than female fetuses.

4. Pregnant women who are obese

Women who have a body mass index above 25 before pregnancy are also prone to give birth to large fetuses.

Risks of Childbirth Large Size Fetus

Because the fetal body size is too large, difficulties in labor can occur. Some of the risks that may occur in pregnancy and childbirth with large fetuses are:
  • Normal childbirth process that takes a long time.
  • The perineum is torn.
  • The baby's shoulder is stuck in the birth canal (dystocia).
  • Babies must be born by cesarean section.
  • Babies are born with low blood sugar levels.
  • Babies suffer from jaundice.
  • The baby has a birth injury.
  • Babies are born with breathing difficulties.
  • Babies are born with birth defects, if the mother has diabetes.
If a pregnant woman is diagnosed with a large fetus, the doctor will determine treatment steps according to gestational age, history of the disease before pregnancy and during pregnancy, and the general health condition of the mother and fetus. Large fetuses can cause various complications, both during pregnancy and childbirth. Therefore, to prevent this, pregnant women need to live a healthy lifestyle before and during pregnancy, and routinely check the pregnancy to the doctor.

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