What causes babies to be small?

What causes babies to be small?

What causes babies to be small for gestational age? Some babies are small because their parents are small. Many of these babies have a condition called intrauterine growth restriction. This happens when the unborn baby doesn't get the nutrients and oxygen needed to grow and develop organs and tissues.

How do you deal with low birth weight babies?

Treatment for the baby is determined by the doctor depending on the baby's gestational age, health and ability to tolerate treatments. Many times, care of a low birth weight or preterm baby includes spending time in the NICU, a temperature-controlled incubator, and special feeding through a stomach tube or IV line.

Is it bad if your baby is measuring small?

“The reason that is important [to note] is that most small babies are perfectly healthy. Most unhealthy babies are not usually small, either. “Even though there is an association between being small and having problems, that association is quite weak. It is used as a signal for us to decide who needs special tests.”

What causes low birth weight in babies?

Low birth weight is most often caused by being born too early (premature birth). That means before 37 weeks of pregnancy. A premature baby has less time in the mother's womb (uterus) to grow and gain weight. Another cause of low birth weight is a condition called intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).