Babies Lose Weight At Birth: How Much And Why?
It is a well-known fact that a baby’s birth weight can decrease considerably in the first days of life. In fact, it may take around two weeks for this value to fully recover and the true growth process begins.
It may sound somewhat contradictory and although there are some diseases that can delay growth, in the vast majority of cases it is a natural phenomenon. If you want to know the reasons why this happens and to what degree this can affect your child, we invite you to continue reading!
Do all babies lose weight after they are born?
In general, weight loss in the first days of life is almost a constant in the babies evaluated. The weight ratio can vary depending on various personal and environmental factors. For example, a study published in the Chilean Journal of Pediatrics in 2018 revealed that after 48 hours of evaluation there was an average loss of 6.85%.
These values can change and the most normal thing is that this situation does not last beyond a few days or, at most, two weeks. Although there is no well-established range to consider an exact weight loss value as dangerous, it should not be more than 10% of your birth weight.
Reasons why babies lose weight at birth
The transition from being in the womb to the outside environment may seem easy, but it really is not. The baby must get used to sudden changes in temperature, his cardiorespiratory system changes almost completely (including some small anatomical changes) and contact with other living beings and food sources has its consequences.
Regarding the topic that brings us today, that babies lose weight at birth is something natural and that can be explained by many of the factors mentioned above. The redistribution of fluids in the body plays a fundamental part, and that is what we will talk about next.
Urinary system
When the kidneys and the rest of the urinary tract begin to function outside the uterus, babies inevitably lose weight due to changes in the distribution of fluids in the body. The baby was used to ingesting amniotic fluid during development, and this change also affects the pattern in which spontaneous urination occurs.
In fact, the adaptation that occurs after birth involves a significant change in the distribution of body water capable of affecting weight. The smallest have a greater relationship between water and their body mass, while adults gradually lose this relationship.
Gastrointestinal system
This goes very hand in hand with food and is that the exposure of the digestive tract to different substances -which in the first days of life should only come from breast milk- and subsequent defecation are phenomena that can also promote weight loss .
Meconium is the first stool a baby makes and has a very characteristic dark color, as well as a rather unpleasant odor. Did you know that the difficulty in expelling meconium is related to diseases such as cystic fibrosis? Fascinating, right?
Feeding, one of the reasons why babies lose weight
Breast milk provides all the nutrients necessary for a newborn to grow properly, including the development of its immune system.
However, in the first days of life, the amount of milk produced by the mother may be somewhat less than what she will produce later. Despite this, there are a few ways to increase your production.
Colostrum is the first type of breast milk emitted by the mother and has some differences in its composition with well-developed milk. Over time, both the quantity and quality of this substance will promote adequate weight gain in the infant.
What to do about it?
As you have seen, this weight loss is a natural phenomenon that should not alarm you too much. It is important that you stay alert during the first days of life, especially regarding the appearance of other symptoms. For example, if your baby has trouble sucking milk or having a bowel movement, there is probably another associated health problem.
It is not advisable to weigh the baby at all times, as this could contribute to increasing your distress. Just take a good look at your child’s physical appearance, in addition to his behavior. If you have the ability to weigh it, doing it every few days could be helpful.
If you show a too large and prolonged loss (close to the 10% that we discussed at the beginning), it is advisable to go to the pediatrician or neonatologist as soon as possible.
Stay tuned, but calm!
Yes, losing weight can be very distressing, especially for gilts. The important thing is to stay calm, since in the vast majority of cases it is something normal. If you detect any abnormality and think it is better to ask for an opinion, go to your trusted doctor.
