For babies carried to full term, birth weight is considered "normal" between about 6 pounds, 2 ounces and 9 pounds, 2 ounces. Given sustained concern about childhood obesity, I have wondered how early in life children may be at risk for extra weight.
Can babies be obese?
It was easy enough to debunk the absurd "news" that a year ago, an Australian woman gave birth to a 40-pound baby. More recent reports exist, sensationalized enough in their own right, like this one out of the U.K. worrying about "schoolgirls" who give birth to "obese babies."
How can we instead approach this topic scientifically, with a focus especially on babies in the U.S.?
The medical definition of a large baby is 8 pounds, 13 ounces or larger. A "Well" column in The New York Times this week notes that fewer than 8 percent of babies born in the U.S. meet this definition.
Can babies be obese?
It was easy enough to debunk the absurd "news" that a year ago, an Australian woman gave birth to a 40-pound baby. More recent reports exist, sensationalized enough in their own right, like this one out of the U.K. worrying about "schoolgirls" who give birth to "obese babies."
How can we instead approach this topic scientifically, with a focus especially on babies in the U.S.?
The medical definition of a large baby is 8 pounds, 13 ounces or larger. A "Well" column in The New York Times this week notes that fewer than 8 percent of babies born in the U.S. meet this definition.
No comments:
Post a Comment