One of the easiest to measure and least understood epidemiological factors is birthweight. The chance of death in the first year of life and, to a lesser extent, the risk of developmental issues in childhood and the risk of contracting various diseases as an adult are both highly correlated with a baby’s birth weight. Birthweight is frequently seen in epidemiological investigations as being on the causal chain leading to these health consequences. Birthweight is employed as both an intermediate health endpoint and an explanation for changes in newborn mortality and later morbidity under this causation assumption. The evidence put forth here implies that there might not be a causal relationship between birthweight and health consequences. Analysis techniques that rely on causality are at best unreliable and at worst prejudiced.

In example, the concept of “low birthweight” is unhelpful and rarely supported. The birthweight distribution’s primary use is to calculate the percentage of small preterm births in a population (although even this requires special analytical methods). The relationships between birthweight and a variety of health outcomes may nevertheless reflect the functioning of biological mechanisms with significance for human health, despite the fact that the conventional approaches to birthweight are not well supported.

What Should a Newborn Baby Weigh Normally?

Male newborn babies typically weigh between 2.8 and 3.2 kg at birth in India. In contrast, a newborn female baby’s weight at delivery might range from 2.7 to 3.1 kg. The weight of the mother is frequently shown to have a significant impact on the weight of the newborn child.

However, it is observed that many healthy newborns are delivered today, and they can weigh up to 3, 3.1, and 3.2 kg.

What happens to a newborn baby’s weight in the first few days?

If your kid is born weighing up to 3 kg, after 5-7 days the weight will drop to 2.9 kg. However, after 7-8 days, the weight progressively increases to 3kgs once more.

On the other hand, be careful to see your paediatrician right away if your baby loses more than 10% of its weight in the first 5-7 days. For instance, if your infant weighs 3 kgs and subsequently drops to 2.7 kgs, this indicates that your baby is not receiving adequate nutrition. Make sure you look after your baby’s nursing.

After 7–10 days, if your baby is gaining weight healthily, this is referred to as healthy weight increase.

How to tell if your kid is healthy and growing well

Your infant is healthy and gaining weight if he or she is urinating six to ten times each day. Don’t forget to ask your paediatrician about your baby’s weight and whether or not he or she has jaundice.

Babies in India who lose weight fall into a different category. Your child will be considered a “low birth weight infant” if his or her weight at birth is less than 2.5 kg.

However, your child would be classified as a very low birth weight baby if it weighs less than 1.5 kg. If your baby weighs less than 1 kg, however, they are classified as “very low birth weight newborns.”