Baby Jasleen Born 13 Lbs in Germany [VIDEO]; Large Baby Healthy and Delivered Naturally; Was Gestational Diabetes to Blame?
Baby Jasleen was born in Leipzig Germany at 13 Lbs. Baby Jasleen is 23 inches long. Most babies are not that heavy, but Jasleen's mother still delivered the baby naturally. Most babies this heavy require a caesarean section, or surgical removal of the baby from the uterus.
Baby Jasleen may be a heavy baby, but she is not the heaviest baby. Guinness worlds records lists a baby born at 23 lbs in Seaville OH in 1879 to be the heaviest; however, that baby died 11 hours after birth. Previously, the heaviest baby born in Germany was 13 lbs and born in 2011. That baby was named Jihad.
In March, a 15.5 lb baby boy was born to a woman in England. He was named George. This is not the same George as the Royal Baby Prince George Alexander Louis.
The Chief of Obstetrics for the hospital that treated Baby Jasleen and her mother, Holger Stepan, said: "We anticipated that the child would be big. We prepared in advance by assembling a special team (of doctors and midwives) to be ready for any possible complications."
The mother of Baby Jasleen had gestational diabetes, a condition that can cause babies to be born bigger than they usually are. Her condition was not discovered until she checked into the hospital, where she had not previously been a patient.
In Gestational Diabetes, women who previously had no signs of diabetes exhibit high blood sugar levels during pregnancy, particularly during the third trimester. Insulin receptors do not function properly, which is possible because pregnancy hormones interfere with uptake. Gestational diabetes affects 3-10% of pregnancies. Gestational diabetes can be diagnosed by glucose test and treated with insulin. Some of the effects of untreated gestational diabetes include large infant size, development of diabetes type 2 or 1 after pregnancy, childhood obesity, and higher incidence of pre-eclampsia.
Watch Baby Jasleen Born in Germany at 13 Lbs Video: