Joel Brandon Jr is a basket-and-a-half of baby. 'J.J', was born weighing a whopping 6kg (14 pounds) and he is the biggest baby to be born in the US so far this year.
We know, ouch, right?
The good news for JJ's mum, Sara Brandon, is that her son was born by caesarean at 38 and a half weeks. Regardless, she was gob-smacked by the size of her newborn. During a routine ultrasound late in the pregnancy, she'd been warned that he'd be big but she never expected him to be THIS big. "When he came out and they put him on the scale and it said 14 pounds, I was very shocked, to say the least,” she told KSL.com. Sara Brandon's type one diabetes was one of the reasons her son was so big. “He’s my cuddly, chunky baby,” she said noting that he wears the same size nappies as his twin sisters who are aged two.
The world's largest baby born so far this year is George King in England who weighed (15 pounds 7 ounces) when he was born back in February.
Very big babies are becoming increasingly common and the prevalence of diabetes among mothers is thought to be a contributing factor.
Dr Daghni Rajasingam, a consulting obstetrician at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, says when it comes to babies, bigger isn't necessarily better. He told the Daily Mail, "While most people think the bigger the baby, the healthier it is, there is mounting evidence to suggest the opposite: in fact, babies carrying too much weight at birth will live with the consequences for the rest of their lives. They are more prone to diabetes and heart disease and are affected at a younger age."
While JJ did have trouble breathing and required assistance after his birth, doctors have assured his parents he's now in good health. Says Sara Brandon, “(The doctor) said he’ll be a normal, healthy boy as he grows; he’ll probably just be a big, tall guy but he’ll probably slim down as he gets into his toddler years,” she said.
How big were your babies when they were born?
Image credit: Sara Brandon