Newborn babies are getting bigger. Here's why

Australian babies are getting bigger, with the average newborn now weighing on average 3.5kg, up from 3.3kg in 2005.

Here's why:

* Mothers are getting older;

* Lifestyle factors such as obesity and diabetes;

* Increase in the use of fertility treatments;

* Reduction in maternal smoking;

* Ethnicity of Australian mothers has changed.

It's thought the increase in newborn baby weight is leading to an increase in caesareans. If this is the case, it is an issue because caesareans carry risks. Also large babies can suffer health problems of their own.

Mary Helen Black, a biostatistician with Kaiser Permanente Southern California's department of research and evaluation explained to the Huffington Post in an interview last year that babies who are born too large are at an increased risk "for very serious consequences both during delivery, for the mother and the infant, as well as later in life for the infant."

Incidents of very big newborns are known as fetal macrosomia and any baby above 8 pounds, 13 ounces (3.9kg) qualifies.

Dr. Sheiva Ghofrany from Stamford Hospital told the Huffington Post, "babies have definitely been coming out bigger" in the past five to six years which she has attributed to rising rates of maternal obesity and diabetes.

Three recent births in the United States, Spain and Germany have totally blown the 3.9kg qualifier out of the water.

The Cessna family in Pennsylvania in the US are celebrating the birth of Addyson Gale Cessna who has weighed in at 13 pounds, 12 ounces (6.2kg).

Ouch.

Armstrong County Memorial Hospital believes it's the largest baby it has ever delivered.

“I think as mothers, we all have that initial, oh my that must have hurt, and they’re right. That’s big,” Dr. Yannie Narcisse, one of the delivering doctors, told media outlets

Thankfully Addyson was delivered via caesarean section. The same can't be said for Maria Lorena Marin who was born in Spain naturally weighing 13 pounds and 7 ounces (6.1kg), twice the average size of a newborn.

The mother, Marina Salud, said she knew her baby would be big, but not that big. "I did not even need an epidural," she said.

Javier Rius, the head of the hospital's department of obstetrics and gynecology said, "We are all very satisfied with the work which we carried out." Yep, lots of pats on the back to the medical staff...and the poor mother.

Then in Germany a baby was born recently weighing 13 pounds and 6 ounces (6kg). The girl known as Jasleen is Germany's biggest ever baby born naturally.

The biggest baby ever born was a boy weighing 23 pounds, 12 ounces (10.8kg) delivered on January, 19, 1879, in Seville, Ohio, in the US according to the Guinness Book of World Records. He was born to Anna Bates, a 7-foot, 5.5-inch Canadian woman but sadly he died 11 hours after birth.

Have you given birth to a large baby naturally? Our editor, Alana House would love to compare notes - her babies were 4.3kg and 4.1kg respectively. We'd love to see some pics of the "little" tyke. Send them through to info@themotherish.com.