More details about birth weight

Birth-weight is influenced by the intrauterine environment and the mother's condition, her glucose tolerance, body weight, smoking and drinking alcohol as well. The genes, which could influence 40% of the variation in birth weight, cannot be neglected. Genes associated with diabetes are among the genes, which are supposedly linked with the development of higher or lower birth weight. For example GCK and TCF7L2. They influence the glucose metabolism, which can, in return, have an effect on the weight of the fetus. This is due to the fact that a mother with type 2 diabetes has an increased glucose level in her blood. The glucose, which represents food for the fetus, reaches the baby in larger quantities; it accepts this larger quantity and, consequently, gains more weight.

Back to basic description