The baby boy was born weighing 5.4 kg with hypoglycemia, cyanosis, and respiratory failure, and was saved by doctors at Hung Vuong General Hospital.
On April 26, a representative of Hung Vuong General Hospital said that the baby’s mother is 36 years old and has uncontrolled gestational diabetes. The doctor assessed that the fetus was large and the baby’s weight was greater than normal, so he prescribed a cesarean section. The baby was born weighing 5.4 kg. Immediately after birth, he fell into a state of hypoglycemia, cyanosis and respiratory failure, and was actively resuscitated in the delivery room. 30 minutes later, the baby was transferred to the neonatal unit for special monitoring.
The baby is raised in an incubator to minimize the risk of hypothermia and support breathing using non-invasive artificial ventilation. However, the respiratory response was not good, so the doctors pumped surfactant into the baby’s lungs and used antibiotics to treat the infection early. Luckily, the child’s breathing improved quite well, gradually weaning off the ventilator and switching to nasal oxygen. In the first days, the baby eats milk through a gastric tube, then gradually the tube is removed to drink bottled milk and breastfeed.
During the treatment process, children are always closely monitored through a monitoring system. Currently, after 15 days, the child is eating and drinking well, defecating and urinating well, and was discharged from the hospital.
Doctor examines pediatric patient. Image: Hospital provided
Doctor Tran Thi Cum, who directly treated the baby, said the baby was overweight at birth and had many dangerous complications. Research shows that three common causes of unusual birth weight include family history, maternal gestational diabetes or an overly nutritious diet.
Doctors advise pregnant women to proactively have regular prenatal checkups. If the fetus exceeds 3.5 kg in weight, the doctor will advise the mother on a suitable nutritional regimen. The mother’s weight is monitored and her pelvis is examined when the pregnancy is over 37 weeks to limit the risks that may occur during childbirth.
Heavy newborns need to be monitored regularly. If there are any unusual signs, they should be taken to a medical facility for examination.
Babies are born with an average weight of about 2.5-3.5 kg. Newborn babies exceeding this weight are often due to many pregnancy abnormalities, the most common of which is the mother having complications from gestational diabetes.
The record for the heaviest baby born in Vietnam belongs to a 7.1 kg baby in Vinh Phuc, 2017. A baby girl in Gia Lai was born in 2008 weighing nearly 7 kg. In 2014, a mother in Quang Nam weighing 102 kg gave birth to a 6.5 kg baby.