After a half century of increasing birth weights among American newborns, the trend is now reversing itself and birth weights are dropping, say researchers. That’s not to mean there aren’t any big babies being born, it’s just that they’ll become unusual again, if the trend continues.
Birth weights don’t predict how big a baby will become as he or she grows, but researchers are finding that birth weight plays a role in future health. Research is beginning to show that smaller babies face a higher risk of short-term complications, even requiring intensive care. As well, people born with low-birth weights may have a higher risk of developing certain types of chronic diseases.
Birth Weight Increases in the Past
Birth weights increased in the past, in North America and other developed regions of the world because prenatal and maternal care was improved and society, as a whole, began to understand how pregnant women could care for themselves for a healthier pregnancy. As the generations went on, babies became bigger and healthier.
Birth Weight Decrease Now
Just as moms became more aware of their role in providing for a healthy pregnancy, society is now beginning to show another angle to being pregnant: how to stay as slim as possible and not look pregnant – and then lose all the weight as quickly as possible after the baby is born.
This could mean that women are dieting more, exercising more and – in today’s day and age of Cesarean sections on request – having babies earlier than they might be born naturally.
Is this a good idea? Or should we go back to letting nature take its course? How big were your babies? Do you know how big you were when you were born?
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Image: Newscom.com
Post from: Blisstree