Baby weighing 5kg takes birth at Saham Hospital

Muscat: On Sunday, a baby girl weighing 5kg was born in North Al Batinah Governorate.

A statement issued by the Directorate General of Health Services in North Al Batinah said: “For the first time in Saham Hospital, a baby girl weighing 5 kilogrammes was born under the supervision of the medical staff in the hospital’s maternity hall, as the birth process did not require a caesarean section, and the baby was born in very good health.”

Speaking exclusively to Times of Oman, Dr. Hanan Moamen Al-Saeedi, obstetrics and gynaecology specialist at Saham State Hospital said: “The weight of most of the children born after full-term pregnancy is about 2.7-4.08 kilogrammes, depending on several factors.

“Whereas the normal weight of the male child at birth ranges from 3.03 to 3.6 kilogrammes and the length from 48.51 to 51 cm, the female’s weight at birth ranges from 2.9kg to 3.5kg and the length from 48 to 50.2 cm.

According to the doctor, the birth order can affect the size and weight of the newborn. Children born earlier tend to be smaller.

This depends on the gender; although these differences may be slight at birth, females tend to have smaller heads than males.
The doctor pointed out that “the health of the mother during pregnancy is also an important factor as the health of the mother can affect the weight of the foetus; the mother who suffers from high blood pressure or heart problems, or who smokes cigarettes, takes drugs or alcohol during pregnancy, also affects the weight and the length of the child. If the mother is obese or diabetic, her foetus could be more heavy.

Good nutrition is essential during pregnancy. A healthy baby can be born with a strong immune system. She said that a baby born to a mother who is overweight during pregnancy will be more likely to have a greater than average birth weight.

“Also, heredity affects the size of the child. The length of pregnancy can also impact the child’s weight and size. For example, children who are born before their due date are usually smaller, while children who are born after the scheduled date are heavier than average,” she said.