“Upon birth, the newborn weighs relatively more after a C-section and has therefore more fluid to urinate out resulting in greater relative weight loss,” Paul said.
Overall, included studies suggest that babies born by CS lose more weight during the early days of life compared with those born vaginally, although it is unclear if this weight loss is detrimental to the infant as authors did not report rates of hospital readmissions or other adverse outcomes.
The American Academy of Pediatrics defines 7% weight loss as acceptable for breastfed newborns regardless of mode of delivery.
Since babies born via C-section do not pass through the birth canal and are not exposed to the same bacteria as babies born vaginally, their microbiome develops differently and has different strains of bacteria.
When should my newborn regain their birth weight? It's usually around two weeks, say experts, though there is some wiggle room. “Babies should regain their birth weight by three weeks of age, but it's very uncommon to take that long,” explains Corbin. “Most babies are back to their birth weight by two weeks.
Excessive weight loss in newborns is associated with neonatal complications such as jaundice and dehydration, which cause renal failure, thrombosis, hypovolemic shock, and seizures. The identification of the risk factors for excessive weight loss will help to discover preventive measures.
Weight loss up to about 8% of their birth weight is considered normal. Some areas say 10%, but if your baby is approaching 9-10% that's definitely a sign that further investigation is required.
A baby born through the vaginal canal picks up critical microbes along the way that help it stay healthy later in life. But babies delivered via cesarean section miss out on those useful, gut-colonizing bacteria, which may put them at greater risk of developing certain health conditions and developmental disorders.
“It takes a while for babies born through C-section to develop a normal microbiome. And during that time, while the immune system is also developing, they become more at risk for later developing certain diseases like asthma.
Long-Term Effects of C-Sections
Children born by C-section also suffer increased rates of diseases, including asthma, type I diabetes, allergies, obesity, as well as reduced overall cognitive functioning and lower academic performance.
Slow weight gain could be a problem if: your newborn doesn't regain their birth weight within 10 to 14 days after their birth. your baby up to 3 months old gains less than an ounce a day. your infant between 3 and 6 months gains less than 0.67 ounces a day.
Babies shouldn't lose more than 10% of their weight from when they were born . If your baby loses more than this or has not returned to it by three weeks old, a health professional will assess them .
This could be because the mother isn't making enough milk, or the baby can't get enough milk out of the breast. Or it could be that the baby may have a health problem. Your baby's healthcare provider should assess any instance of poor weight gain. Often a certified lactation consultant can help.
Newborns delivered by C-section tend to harbor in their guts disease-causing microbes commonly found in hospitals (e.g. Enterococcus and Klebsiella), and lack strains of gut bacteria found in healthy children (e.g. Bacteroides species).
We found that babies born via planned caesarean section had poorer scores in all five developmental areas at four months of age. The largest differences were noticed in fine motor skills, while the smallest differences were reported in communication as compared to vaginally born babies.
Key points. Babies who were born vaginally may have an elongated head or "cone head" due to pressure on the skull to fit through the birth canal; babies born by C-section will have a rounder head. You may notice changes in your baby's skin, limbs, genitals, stool and urine over the next few weeks.
Through two decades of clinical observations, Mao and Jing (2005) found that newborns delivered via Cesarean section did not like to be touched or hugged as compared with newborns delivered via natural childbirth. The neonates expressed stress regarding physical contact with their mothers.
The C-section babies can display both irritability and increased likely hood of colic. Planned C-section babies are interestingly the most ratty and cranky babies I see. Scientific research absolutely confirms this showing that C-section deliveries cause a change to the friendly gut bacteria in the baby.
With a c-section, babies don't get the squeeze and will have extra fluid to contend with. This may mean that they experience difficulty breathing, cough up extra fluids, or sound "juicy" as they breathe in the first few days.
Some women do experience symptoms related to their C-section scar long after the operation. Some women feel pain, restriction, or a pulling sensation on or around their scar months or even years after surgery. This is normally due to the build-up of scar tissue which can stick to muscles or even organs and cause pain.
Ongoing weight loss in young infants is commonly caused by acute infection, problems with feeding, milk protein allergy, malnutrition, or failure to thrive. Gastroesophageal reflux disease, pyloric stenosis, and child neglect are other frequent etiologies. Dehydration associated with any etiology can be severe.
An overweight or obese baby - whose weight is higher on an infant growth chart compared to length - may convert excess stores of body fat into energy (calories). His weight will slowly drop to lower percentile curves and over time he will appear slimmer.
The average weight for full-term babies (born between 37 and 41 weeks gestation) is about 7 pounds (3.2 kg). In general, small babies and very large babies are more likely to have problems. Newborn babies may lose as much as 10% of their birth weight.