Dear Lactnetters,
Some time ago I was looking for information on infant weight loss for a 
mother with a large baby (4500 g birthweight).  One of my sources suggested that it 
might make more sense to take the 12 or 24 hour post-birth weight as the 
basis for these babies when calculating the percentage of weight loss because they 
tend to have larger amounts of fluid and meconium than smaller babies.   
Recently I went back to the person I thought was the source of this information - 
but apparently I thought wrong so now I am looking for another source for this 
practice - if indeed there is one. 

The only research I've been able to find that is remotely helpful is in JHL 
23(3), Marten and Romphf.  "Factors Associated With Newborn In-Hospital Weight 
Loss: Comparisons by Feeding Method, Demographics, and Birthing Procedures".  
One article in their literature list indicates that the heaviest infants show 
the greatest weight loss and their own research showed "an approximate 1% 
greater weight loss for every 1000-g increase in birth weight" as well as an 
increase in weight loss of babies born to mothers who had epidurals that "may be 
attributable to intravenous fluid overload in the mother and newborn with the 
resulting over-hydration of the newborn contributing to slightly more weight 
loss as the newborn sheds this extra fluid load"  

A number of nurses and midwives with whom I've discussed the possibility of 
using the second (12/24hour) weight rather than the actual birthweight as the 
"basis weight" for a heavy baby thinks this may make good sense  - but is 
anyone actually doing it?  Are there any studies or long(ish)-term experience with 
such a practice?

Elizabeth Hormann
Cologne, Germany



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