children s health issues
Large for Gestational Age (LGA) Newborns
Introduction
A newborn who weighs more than 90% of newborns of the same gestational age at birth (above the 90th percentile) is considered large for gestational age. Newborns may be large because the parents are large or because the mother has diabetes or obesity. Doctors take measurements of the mother's abdomen and use ultrasonography to take measurements of the fetus to help estimate the fetus's weight. Cesarean delivery is sometimes necessary. Complications are treated. Large babies born to mothers with diabetes are more likely to be overweight as adults. (See also Overview of General Problems in Newborns .) Gestational age refers to the number of weeks of pregnancy. The gestational age is determined by counting the number of weeks between the first day of the mother's last menstrual period and the day of delivery. This time frame is often adjusted according to other information doctors receive, including the results of early ultrasound scans, which give additional information regarding the gestational age. A baby is estimated to be due (the due date) at 40 weeks of gestation. At a gestational age of 40 weeks, boys who weigh more than about 9 pounds 4 ounces (4.2 kilograms) are large for gestational age (LGA). Girls who weigh more than about 9 pounds 1 ounce (4.1 kilograms) are LGA. Doctors use published growth charts or computer apps to evaluate babies at other gestational ages. Macrosomia(large body) is a related term used to describe infants who weigh more than 9 pounds 15 ounces (4.5 kilograms). 