Reasons Why My Baby Lag Weight in 20 Weeks

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Information from Your Family Doctor

IUGR—Why Is My Baby Small and What Can Be Done About Information technology?

Am Fam Physician. 1998 October 15;58(half dozen):1393-1394.

  See related commodity on intrauterine growth retardation.

What is IUGR?

IUGR stands for intrauterine growth retardation. This means that your baby is growing slowly and doesn't weigh every bit much as your dr. expected for this stage of pregnancy. If your unborn baby weighs less than most babies at this phase, your baby might have IUGR. IUGR is too used to describe a baby who weighs less at birth than most babies at the same stage. For babies who are born almost their due date (meaning, they aren't premature), the dangerous weight is anything less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces.

Your doc might suspect IUGR if he or she thinks your baby is growing slightly less than would exist expected. IUGR is normally diagnosed during an ultrasound examination. Doctors about oft find it during the 6th, the seventh or the 8th months of pregnancy.

Information technology's important to know that IUGR just means slowed growing. These small babies aren't mentally ho-hum or retarded. Almost small-scale babies abound up to be good for you children and adults.

Why is my baby minor?

Doctors know many of the causes of IUGR merely are only able to be sure about the crusade in about one half of babies who accept IUGR. The about common reasons for a baby to be small are the post-obit:

• The mother smoked cigarettes during pregnancy.

• The mother drank alcohol during pregnancy.

• The mother had high blood pressure during pregnancy.

• The mother had infections during pregnancy.

• The infant has chromosomal abnormalities (similar Down syndrome).

• The mother used sure medicines during pregnancy.

• The mother is small (less than 5 feet tall or weighing less than 110 pounds).

Why is my infant's size important?

The best predictor of a baby'southward survival and good health is its birth weight. Babies born with depression birth weight might have problems near the fourth dimension of birth. Because of the danger of some of these problems—such as difficulty holding a normal body temperature or fighting infection—your doctor volition do some tests to observe out if your babe is growing well, both before and after nativity.

What tests might exist done on my babe?

Two tests tin can detect out if your infant has IUGR and keep runway of your babe'southward growth in the womb. These tests are the ultrasound examination and the nonstress test. The first kind of test, the ultrasound exam, is used to detect out if your baby has IUGR. This exam is done every iii to 4 weeks to make sure your baby is still growing right. The ultrasound exams allow your physician wait at your infant'due south internal organs and measure out the amount of fluid effectually the baby.

Special ultrasound exams are called biophysical profiles. During a biophysical contour, the person who does the exam volition as well watch your baby'south breathing, musculus tone and movements.

The other test is the nonstress test. This test is usually done in the doctor's part, just it might exist washed in a hospital. A nonstress test measures how fast your infant's middle is chirapsia. A healthy baby ordinarily has a heartbeat that gets faster as the baby moves around. A nonstress exam takes nigh twenty to 30 minutes to practice. It might take longer if your baby is asleep.

Sometimes your doctor wants to watch your baby's heartbeat while your uterus contracts (squeezes together). This is chosen a contraction stress test. There are two means to help you have contractions for only a fiddling while. Commencement, your nipples will be warmed upwardly. Sometimes this makes your uterus showtime contracting for a niggling while. If that doesn't work, y'all could take a special medicine (either oxytocin or pitocin), to brand your uterus contract simply for a footling while.

What happens if a test isn't normal?

If one of the tests isn't normal, your doctor may desire to do other tests. Your medico may also try to start your labor early (induce labor) if you might have a trouble.

What volition the doctor practise to help my baby?

If your baby is very pocket-size when it'due south born, your doc can give it oxygen through a nose tube, fluids through a tube in a vein and, sometimes, antibiotics.

What can I do to help my baby?

You tin do five important things to help your baby grow big enough before information technology'due south born:

1. If you smoke—quit now. Cigarettes hurt the placenta, which is your baby'due south only mode to get "food." It'south never likewise late to quit smoking. Babies gain one half of their weight in the last three months before being built-in.

2. If yous drink alcohol—quit now. Fifty-fifty one drinkable a twenty-four hours makes information technology more likely that you volition have a small-scale baby. You could fifty-fifty have a infant with brain damage caused by the alcohol. This can happen in all months of pregnancy.

3. If y'all utilise illegal drugs—quit now. Almost all illegal drugs brand babies too small to exist strong and healthy. You may need your physician's help to quit then you don't have withdrawal problems.

4. Eat a expert diet. Ask your doctor to tell you the all-time foods to swallow.

5. Continue all your appointments for doctor visits and tests.

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This handout is provided to you lot by your family doctor and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Other health-related data is available from the AAFP online at http://familydoctor.org.

This data provides a general overview and may not utilize to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more data on this subject.

Copyright © 1998 by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
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