Predicting Baby's Birthweight

How much will your baby weigh? At birth a full-term infant of "average" size generally weighs anywhere from 6 to 8 pounds. Most babies are right in the middle, weighing somewhere around 71/3 pounds. Boys average about 3 1/2 ounces more than girls. Your baby will continue to gain weight for as long as you carry him. Research has taught us that an optimal birthweight is setting the stage not only for a healthier baby and an easier delivery but also for a healthier child and adult. Babies born at less than 5 1/2 pounds are at risk for various health problems, both upon delivery and as children. It turns out that babies born weighing more than 9 1/2 pounds are also at risk because they might be more likely to be overweight as a child and as an adult too.

Originally published in You & Your Baby: Pregnancy.

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