A 14 and-a-half pound baby was born on Friday at UF Health Shands Hospital, NBC News reported. Measuring 22.5 inches, Isiah Lawrence Johnson, unsurprisingly, also came with an impressive tuft of black hair. His mother, Nicia McNelley, said it felt like it "took forever to get him out." Both mother and child are expected to return home this week. Click here for the video and picture.
Officials at the Florida hospital believe it was the largest delivery the hospital has ever made and possibly the largest one in state history, though they still have to consult past records to confirm, according to NBC (sounds like a fun job for an intern).
Contending for the record is something McNelley likely wishes she could have avoided. As is the case with most big births, she went into labor early, for a long period of time, and eventually had to have a cesarian section.
Babies over 9 lbs 15 ounces are considered macrosomic, meaning "of large body," compared to an average birth weight of just around 7 ounces, according to babycenter.com. Between 5 and 10 percent of all births are macrosomic.
Why babies are born big remains mostly unexplained, however, certain factors can increase a mother's chances, the most influential being genetics and unmanaged blood sugar levels, which may develop only during the pregnancy. Other factors include obesity, ethnicity, excessive weight gain during pregnancy, and the baby's sex (males are more likely), according to babycenter.com.
There are no long term health risks associated with big-bodied babies, but there are a few potential risks directly after birth, such as a broken collarbone caused by a potentially awkward delivery. Rarer cases include nerve damage and oxygen restriction, which could cause lifelong disabilities.
