What Causes Accelerated Fetal Growth?
Accelerated fetal growth, or fetal macrosomia, means that a developing baby is estimated to be above the 90th percentile for a particular gestational age. Macrosomia has several potential causes and does not always indicate a problem.
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Gestational Diabetes
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Pregnancy-induced diabetes is a well-recognized risk factor for having a baby that is large, as the high sugar levels in the mother's blood stimulate the baby's growth.
Maternal Weight Gain
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Moms who gain more than the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy are more likely to have larger babies.
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Pre-existing Maternal Obesity
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Mothers carrying excess body weight before conception are also more likely to have babies with accelerated fetal growth.
Prior Pregnancies
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The greater number of pregnancies a mother has had, the greater are her odds of having a larger baby.
Genetic Factors
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Sometimes babies who are larger are that way simply because of genetics, and it does not mean anything is wrong. This is supported by the fact that women with a history of having larger babies are more likely to have larger babies in future pregnancies.
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