When a child is born, people often ask about the baby’s weight first. Parents get scared if their baby is too small or too big. If there is one thing parents wanted, it would be for their child to fall within the average weight range. So what is the average weight of newborns? The average birth weight is 7.5 pounds, but the normal weight range is 5.5 to 10 pounds, and about 5% of newborns fall in this range.

Full-term and healthy newborns come in different sizes. Babies born between 37 and 40 weeks gestation have a birth weight of between 6 and 9 pounds. While babies born weighing less than 5 pounds are considered low birth weight. Those born with less than 3 pounds are classified as extremely low birth weight are premature babies born before the 36th week of pregnancy. The risk associated with low birth weight includes breathing and feeding problems, heart failure, immature liver function, and problems regulating body temperature.

Newborns weighing more than 9 pounds are classified as high birth weight. Factors that may contribute to your large weight gain include being Hispanic, mothers who gain more weight during pregnancy and who have a baby boy. The gender of the baby influences the birth weight because baby boys tend to be heavier than baby girls.

The firstborn tends to be smaller than his siblings. Having twins or multiple babies also results in smaller babies due to limited space in their mother’s womb. Also, Caucasian babies are larger compared to Native American, Asian, or African American babies.

If the mother is overweight, she tends to have a heavier baby. But, if the mother can’t get the right amount of nutrients during pregnancy, she may have a low birth weight baby. The weight and diet of the mother before and during pregnancy is a crucial factor influencing the weight of the baby at birth. Prenatal health is a key factor influencing baby weight. When pregnant, moms should also avoid smoking and drinking.

Mothers who have just given birth should not be alarmed if after leaving the hospital, their baby’s weight drops by 7-10%. This is actually normal because the baby is losing fluid, which is normal after a few days of delivery. Sooner or later, you will gain weight and pack on more pounds in the coming weeks or months.

As your baby grows, a regular visit to the doctor is necessary to monitor his weight gain. It is also important to monitor your baby’s weight and height to see how well your baby is doing compared to her peers.