A 16 pound baby born in Texas

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDJul 11 2011

A Texas baby was born with a birth weight of 16 pounds and one ounce. JaMichael Brown's weight was more than double the national average for a newborn and he measures 24 inches long, just a few inches shy of an average one-year-old. He is the biggest baby ever born at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, located on the border between Texas and Louisiana. The hospital has been open since 1938 and last year delivered nearly 2,900 babies.

An earlier record was a child born in 1988 who was just over 15 pounds, Victoria Ashworth, the hospital's marketing director said. JaMichael was born at 9:05 a.m. on Friday to Janet Johnson and Michael Brown. This is Johnson's fourth child, but the couple's first together, officials said. Johnson delivered him by scheduled Caesarean section in her 39th week of pregnancy, just a few days early, hospital officials said. Johnson was released from the hospital on Tuesday but is staying there until JaMichael, who is under observation in the neonatal intensive care unit, gets to go home in the next few days. Ashworth said, “He's ... stabilized and is just being observed and watched carefully.”

The baby’s father is 6 feet 6 and uncle 6 feet 8. “They do have some genetics that play in,” explained Ashworth.

Dr. Manny Alvarez said, “Thankfully, from what I have read, this child seems to be okay but let us not lose sight of this: 16-pound babies should not be celebrated, but rather serve as a warning that if monitored poorly, pregnancies can suffer unexpected negative consequences.” He explained that large babies are a result of gestational diabetes in the mother. JaMichael has underdeveloped lungs and is at risk for other health problems, but otherwise he could turn out completely healthy and normal. Big babies might become children at risk for obesity and diabetes, according to an American Diabetes Assn.

The baby’s obstetrician, Dr. John Kirk said, “He's really only had some minor problems. We have made them aware of the possible complications down the road, but hopefully, they'll continue to be under medical care and we'll keep an eye on them.”