Local doctor: birth weight decline may be a good thing

Posted: Mar 15, 2010 11:34 AM by Carina Corral
Updated: Mar 15, 2010 11:34 AM

Healthy Living: Babies are weighing less at birth and a local doctor says it may not be a bad thing

Babies are weighing less at birth and a local doctor said this trend may not be such a bad thing.

According to a new study by Obstetrics & Gynecology, from 1990 to 2005, birth weight in the United States decreased by 1.83 oz.

The drop still leaves the vast majority of babies in the safe range.

A good weight for a term infant is between 5.5 and 9 pounds.

"If they're on the cusp of being premature, they end up needing to stay in the hospital for longer than a baby that is somewhat larger than they are," said Dr. Steve Van Scoy, Medical Director of Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

He works with small babies on a daily basis and while there are many implications that come with low birth weight, such as low blood sugar, lower body temperatures, less body fat and troubles feeding, we must be careful how this new study is interpreted.

"I think that the first thought that it may be something bad that's occurring, but probably what's happening is a couple things on the good side," said Dr. Van Scoy.

First, he said, more mothers who have already had a Cesarean section are electing to have another. Those babies are delivered a little bit earlier and therefore are a bit smaller.

Secondly, more pregnant moms with diabetes are getting the right care, through programs such as Sierra Vista's Sweet Success. Through nutritional counseling, these moms are less likely to deliver very large babies that go along with gestational diabetes.

" They're born at a better size and more healthy," said Van Scoy. "We are seeing a number of more average sized babies and less of the very large babies and I think that goes back to the affect that mothers who have diabetes are being controlled better and have babies that are less than nine or ten pounds now."

The reasons for birth weight decline are unknown, but Dr. Van Scoy said it does not necessarily mean more smaller babies are being born, but may be that fewer large babies are being delivered.

For a link to Sierra Vista's Sweet Success program, click here.