Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

US Newborns Get Smaller

Mysterious drop most acute with mothers considered least at risk

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Jan 22, 2010 2:38 PM CST

(Newser) – The birth weight of the average full-term baby born in the US decreased by 1.83 ounces between 1990 and 2005. Researchers discovered the trend, which runs counter to received notions about increasing birth weight, after studying the records of 37 million newborns. Even more... Read full story »

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

You need to Log in to Newser to comment. Don't have an account yet? Sign up now!

29 comments

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

What's Popular Now on Facebook

'Serpent Pastor' Dies of Snake Bite

Miami Face-Eater Identified

LiveScience (Source Grid »)
Los Angeles Times (Source Grid »)

Health

pregnancy • baby • prenatal care • newborn • scientific study • medical study • gestation • birth weight

More Newser Stories

Pregnant Obese Women Told to Gain No Weight

New study will try to eliminate extra pounds for healthier mom and baby

(NEWSER) - The changing tides of pregnancy and weight research have yielded a novel program that hopes to produce healthy moms and babies: the no-weight gain pregnancy for obese women. A 4-year study will provide expectant mothers with dietary support to keep extra pounds to zero, or at least under 3% of starting body weight. Researchers think deliveries may be smoother and produce healthier babies—and obese moms may learn a thing or two. More»

Today's Hot Dieting Tool: Breast Feeding

Study shows breastfeeding women slim faster

(NEWSER) - It's not the most PC thing to admit, but more and more moms are jumping on the breast-feeding wagon for the love of their...waist, reports Catherine Saint Louis for the New York Times. "For those incredibly shrinking women, the time they nurse is precious not only for its skin-on-skin cuddling, but also for the Get Out of Dieting Jail Free card that comes with it," she found. “Nobody wants to admit ‘I’m doing it to help myself look hot again,’" said one new mom. "It’s tough to admit to other people that everything isn’t about the baby." More»

Breastfeeding May Protect Mom's Heart

Lactation linked to decreased risk of heart ailments later on

(NEWSER) - Mothers who breastfeed their children can expect a personal benefit down the road: A new study has found they are five times less likely than women who don't breastfeed to develop calcification in their major arteries—build-up whose presence "might lead to symptomatic heart disease," one of the researchers tells HealthDay . The study looked at women between the ages of 45 and 58 who had had at least one child. More»

Study: Babies Born Before 40 Weeks Have Lower IQs

Research casts doubt on benefits of inducing birth at 37 or 38 weeks

(NEWSER) - New research suggests that inducing birth two or three weeks ahead of the full 40 weeks isn't as harmless as many doctors believe, the Globe and Mail reports. The study found that children born after 37 weeks tended to have IQs 1.7 points lower than those born at 38 or 39 weeks, and had a higher, though small, risk of dying in early infancy. More»

Light Drinking in Pregnancy May Actually Help Babies

Study finds small advantages for boys whose moms imbibed

(NEWSER) - An occasional drink during pregnancy not only doesn't hurt babies, a British study has found, it may even benefit them. Moms who did a little imbibing—say, a drink a week—saw substantially lower risks of hyperactivity and behavior problems in boys by the age of 3, the Guardian reports. The kids also scored higher on vocabulary and other tests of cognitive development. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

US Newborns Get Smaller

Mysterious drop most acute with mothers considered least at risk

pregnancy • baby • prenatal care • newborn • scientific study • medical study • gestation • birth weight

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Pregnant Obese Women Told to Gain No Weight

New study will try to eliminate extra pounds for healthier mom and baby

Today's Hot Dieting Tool: Breast Feeding

Study shows breastfeeding women slim faster

Breastfeeding May Protect Mom's Heart

Lactation linked to decreased risk of heart ailments later on

Study: Babies Born Before 40 Weeks Have Lower IQs

Research casts doubt on benefits of inducing birth at 37 or 38 weeks

Light Drinking in Pregnancy May Actually Help Babies

Study finds small advantages for boys whose moms imbibed

About Us

Site

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?